Edge of the Blade
by tag.0
Summary: AU. A hitokiri is a hitokiri until he dies. Kenshin knew and understood this years before arriving in Tokyo. Now, his secret is in danger of being exposed as he battles Shishio. WIP [Saitou and Kenshin friendship]
1. Prologue: Most Dangerous Weapon

Author's Note #1: This is _AU_: in this story Kenshin doesn't have the absolute refusal to kill that he does in canon. The question came to mind: what if Kenshin was still Battōsai? Not the bloodthirsty assassin, but the cunning _hitokiri_/skirmisher who doesn't like to kill, yet will do so when he considers it necessary?

Author's Note #2: For the most part, I am using the manga versions of the pre-Shishio canon, as opposed to the anime. Important for this part is that I'm using the manga versions of the Jin-e and the Raijūta arc (for details, see my site: www. t1goold. net/ RK/ NotesRK. html - remove spaces). I have, however, used the anime episodes 15 & 16 ("Assassination group of Fire" and "A Promise from the Heart").

Author's Note #3 (the last, I promise!): The only Japanese I use in this story are terms for proper names (of people and groups) clothing, measurements, certain building features, and the occasional swear word. I have used the accented version of romanji (like in the RuroKen manga) because I'm used to reading it in the manga; however, if people have problems reading it, it will be easy for me to change - just let me know in a review.

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**Edge of the Blade**  
by tag

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Rurouni Kenshin is copyright © Nobuhiro Watsuki. Most of the dialogue in this prologue was taken from Acts 14 and 41-43 of the Rurouni Kenshin manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san. This story is fanfiction, and is not intended as infringement on that copyright.  
Edge of the Blade is copyright © 2005, tag.  
Thanks to Vathara for her help beta-ing.  
Minor edit: Thurs. May 18/06.

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**Prologue: Jin-e & Raijūta - Most Dangerous Weapon**

As Kenshin looked down at the dying body of Udō Jin-e, he felt a familiar surge of satisfaction flow through him. While crippling Jin-e would have meant that he would never regain his expertise with a sword, Jin-e had said it himself: _hitokiri wa hitokiri_. A hitokiri is a hitokiri until death. And despite what most people - including Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke, he suspected - might think, a hitokiri's most dangerous weapon was _not_ his sword, but his mind. Alive, Jin-e could have still posed a threat, if only by letting it be known - more than it already was, that is - that Hitokiri Battōsai was in Tokyo.

Dead, that threat was gone, although Kenshin was still somewhat concerned about the fact Jin-e had implied he'd been hired for all the assassinations he'd done over the past ten years. However, that was no longer his problem; all he had been asked to do was deal with Jin-e himself.

Kaoru, he noticed with a touch of concern, looked shocked by the fact that Jin-e had killed himself, and Kenshin decided it would probably be a good idea to head back to Tokyo now, as long as she was feeling all right. He didn't want her staying here and brooding about what had happened any longer than was absolutely necessary. And considering the way Yahiko and Sanosuke tended to act, it would also be wise to return to the dojo before either of them got it into their heads to come looking. Besides, Chief Uramura would need to be notified of Jin-e's death.

"Kenshin..." Kaoru reached out as if to touch his arm, breaking him out of his thoughts, and then pulled back.

"Let's go home, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said firmly, not sure he wanted to hear what she was about to say. "It's the government's problem from here. Let the police handle it." He turned his back on Jin-e's body, feeling no real regrets for the other's ending - any regrets were saved for Jin-e's inability to stop killing - and started toward Tokyo.

Kaoru was very quiet during their walk back, and Kenshin had the uncomfortable feeling that it was because this was the first time she'd actually _seen_ proof that he _was_ Hitokiri Battōsai. Oh, she'd known with her head that he was, and she'd seen him fight before; but this was the first time she'd seen him in a battle he'd intended to have end in death. That provided a very different sort of knowledge than simple facts; a knowledge that came from instinct, that was _felt_ more than understood.

_So how can I defuse that knowledge?_ Kenshin wondered, as they continued walking. _I need something to convince her that I'm still the rurouni..._

"...Kenshin."

"Hmm...?" Kenshin blinked and looked back at Kaoru. Judging from her tone, she'd called him at least one other time before he'd answered. _Shishō would be scolding me for inattention about now..._ "What is it?"

"Thanks for saving me," Kaoru said quietly. "Let me say _that_, at least."

"There's no need for thanks," Kenshin replied, turning to face her completely. As he did so, he felt something shift inside his _gi_, just under his wounded shoulder, and remembered the ribbon Kaoru had handed him just before Jin-e had abducted her from the riverbank. Considering its current location, it had probably become quite bloodied; and he spent a second or two thinking about how best to remove the blood from it before it became stained until he realized that this was exactly what he'd been searching for to reassure Kaoru that he hadn't changed. She was used to thinking of him as a bit of an idiot anyway...

"Oh, right, your ribbon," he said abruptly, as though he'd only just remembered it then and there. "It must be returned." Reaching into his _gi_, Kenshin pulled it out and extended it to her, and waited until she'd caught a glimpse of it - her eyes widened in a shocked look - before glancing down himself. Letting his own eyes widen as though he were just as surprised as she was, he exclaimed, "Oro!"

Kaoru's eyes narrowed angrily as she continued to take in the bloodstained cloth, and Kenshin felt satisfied that his distraction had worked, even as he winced in anticipation of the hits he was going to have to let her get in. Ducking her first blow, he started running, staying _just_ ahead of her, in order to appear to be avoiding her blows only by chance.

_Best to get fully back into practice as soon as possible. If the past few weeks are any indication, I'm likely to find myself in more situations like this one with Jin-e... and I'm no longer so accustomed to dealing with being wounded. My shoulder will heal soon enough... and in the meantime, I had best start working on my katas while Kaoru and Yahiko are training at the Maekawa dojo._

Ducking another blow - having let two hit him so far - as they passed the Akabeko, Kenshin smiled faintly. _Jin-e, are you watching from hell? Hitokiri and killer I may be, but we are __not__ the same. You could not let go of the killing. I do my very best not to kill at all; but if I __must__ kill, I do so only to protect those more vulnerable than myself. And I will never, __ever__ again kill for any other reason._

* * *

Kenshin stared down at Yutarō's unconscious body for a long moment, the voices of the others like the buzzing of unimportant insects in his ears, as the cold fury that had made Battōsai the terror of the Shogunate supporters in Kyoto rose through him. The fury was aimed at both himself and Raijūta - much like, and for much the same reasons as, his anger over Kaoru's abduction by Jin-e.

At himself, because despite his vow after having dealt with Jin-e, he was still damnably out of practice - he should have _known_ Yutarō was behind him, should have _known_ the danger that Raijūta posed was not limited solely to his friends and himself; and at Raijūta, for having dealt such a potentially irreparable wound to one who had only looked up to him.

"S-sensei..." Yutarō murmured, and Kenshin crouched down to pick him up, ignoring Raijūta's foolish words. Perhaps, if they were lucky and were able to get Yutarō to a doctor soon enough - preferably Gensai-sensei or Megumi - the damage he feared had occurred might be lessened. He gathered Kaoru and Yahiko up with a jerk of his head, and stood.

"What...!" Raijūta shouted from behind them. "Are you running from my challenge?"

Kenshin turned his head to face the arrogant braggart and - hoping that none of the others would notice the details of exactly what he was doing - let the mask of the gentle rurouni fall for just a moment. Let Raijūta get a glimpse of just _who_ he had angered. "Wait there for one hour," he said, and let the ice of his fury infuse his tone for his next words. "Then, I will treat you to a _living hell_."

As they walked off, he heard Sanosuke say, "You've finally managed to anger the most terrifying man in the world," and winced slightly. Kaoru and Yahiko were too focused on Yutarō to have taken in his tone, but Sano had obviously been paying attention.

The only good thing was that based on what Kenshin sensed from Sanosuke's _ki_, the fighter thought mainly that he was simply very angry, and possibly close to letting go - not that he'd realized any of the _real_ details of what had just happened.

And right now, he needed to concentrate on Yutarō - and work on figuring out precisely how Raijūta was doing what he had.

* * *

The anesthetic was still numbing his arm, which would be a problem he was going to have to take into account. Unfortunately, Kenshin didn't have any time to waste waiting for it to wear off; not with Yahiko having undoubtedly gone to confront Raijūta. He'd let Yutarō receive a wound that would never heal properly, thanks to his carelessness. He would _not_ let the same thing - or worse - happen to Yahiko. He'd simply have to take a bit more care in avoiding any attacks Raijūta launched against his right side.

By the time he reached the clearing where they'd left Raijūta and Sanosuke, Sano was restraining Yahiko, and both of them were shouting at each other.

"Even if I can't win," Yahiko was yelling, as Kenshin walked into the clearing, "I can't let him get _away_ with this!"

"Then leave him to _this_ one," Kenshin said firmly, stopping as he reached his friends. Sano was obviously unharmed - not that it surprised him, but it was still a relief - and had a definite look of satisfaction on his face as he let go of Yahiko.

"Ken-" Yahiko started, only to stop in mid-word. Kenshin felt a hint of shock go through the boy's _ki_ at the sight of him, but it was quickly subsumed back into the fury Yahiko still felt at Yutarō's injury.

"Since we're avenging the same person, it's better to win," the boy said decisively. "Right?"

Kenshin shot a quick glance at him. Yahiko met his eyes calmly, obviously not put off by the fact that they were currently a cold blue, just the slightest shift of emotion away from the amber colour Battōsai was known for on the streets of Kyoto.

"All right?" Yahiko continued. "I'll be counting on you."

"Yes," Kenshin replied simply, before returning the majority of his attention to Raijūta. He kept some focused on the other two; he would _not_ let the other man do to Yahiko or Sanosuke what he'd done to Yutarō.

Walking forward until only a short distance separated the two of them, Kenshin met Raijūta's eyes.

"At last!" Raijūta said. "I _will_ defeat you!"

Kenshin felt a surge of contempt run through him at the other man's boast. _There have been only three men who have ever come close to truly defeating me: Sasaki Heihachirō of the Kyoto Mimawarigumi, and Okita Sōshi and Saitō Hajime of the Shinsengumi. And __you__ are definitely none of those three._

"And then," Raijūta continued, "I'll establish the _new era_ of Shinko-Ryū!" He swung, aiming another 'Flying Izuna' at Kenshin.

Kenshin evaded it with apparent ease.

Raijūta looked shocked.

"Don't be surprised," Sanosuke said, from where he and Yahiko were standing at the edge of the clearing. "What kind of fighter falls for the same move twice?"

_Let him know just how outmatched he is. It will not stop him - not that alone - but it will start his doubts..._ "No one can block the 'Flying Izuna', since its edge is so sharp," Kenshin said calmly, looking directly into Raijūta's eyes and projecting his utter confidence, "but for a man who can track the path of a bullet from a gun, _dodging_ it is easy."

_Yes, he's getting nervous now. So how much will it take to break him?_

"Then how about _this_?" Raijūta began a series of attacks, obviously trying to catch Kenshin off-guard.

He heard Yahiko's voice, but was concentrating too hard on sensing Raijūta's moves and dodging them to do more than ensure he stayed away from the direction it came from. Raijūta was focused entirely on him, and Yahiko and Sanosuke would remain unharmed as long as he kept the other man that way.

It was, as Kenshin had feared, the effects of the anesthetic that allowed Raijūta to get in the first hit. He'd seen the blow coming, but he hadn't been able to move his arm completely out of the way in time, and a slice appeared just above his wrist.

The one thing he _had_ made certain to regain completely after the battle with Jin-e was his ability to evaluate and handle any wounds he took (Kaoru had almost suffocated because it had taken him so long to recover from the shock of the unexpected wound to his shoulder). His battle with the Oniwabanshū and Shinomori Aoshi had proven that he was back to normal in that respect. Now it took Kenshin a second or less to determine that the cut wasn't serious - it was in fact rather shallow, a surface cut only. It would not affect his ability; the anesthetic had already ensured he couldn't use his sword with his right arm.

Raijūta laughed. "_Now_ you know the _Izuna_! Ten years of my life I gave to mastering this technique from ancient scrolls! And _you_ cannot block it! _This_ is the symbol of Shinko-Ryū! This is the essence of _satsujin-ken_!"

The contempt Kenshin had felt at the beginning of this fight only increased at Raijūta's boasts. _It's obvious you know __nothing__ of __true satsujin-ken__..._ "Happy now?" he asked coolly.

"Huh?"

Raijūta clearly hadn't understood the message he had given before taking Yutarō to Gensai-sensei's clinic. It was time to show him who - and _what_ - he was _really_ dealing with.

Kenshin spared a quick thought for Sanosuke and Yahiko's reactions - but if Kaoru could handle seeing Battōsai in battle, he was fairly sure that they would be able to as well. All three shared a tremendous strength of spirit. Besides, it was clear from Sanosuke's comments earlier, and the current feel of his _ki_ - slightly tinged with worry over the cut - that he, at least, was _expecting_ Kenshin to 'unleash Battōsai'.

Kenshin raised his wounded arm in front of him and looked down at the cut, letting his bangs shade his eyes as he permitted the anger he'd been feeling to flood through him completely. _Yes, it's time..._ "If a little scratch like this thrills you so much..." He raised the arm higher, up to his mouth, and licked the cut, tasting the coppery flavour of his own blood as he looked back up at Raijūta out of now-amber eyes. "...You're going to love the _real_ blood."

Raijūta was definitely unnerved by this; and Kenshin knew precisely how to make him even more so.

"Now it's certain, Raijūta," he continued calmly.

"_What_ is?"

Even a grim smile would be rather out of character, but Kenshin was definitely tempted. It would have added quite nicely to the effect he was going for. "For all your talk, you've never killed anyone."

The expression on Raijūta's face matched the feel of his _ki_: shocked disbelief that Kenshin knew the truth.

"No true _hitokiri_ would be so happy about failing to finish his opponent." Kenshin spoke from his own experience in this, and he knew that it lent his words and tone a heavy weight - even if Raijūta didn't know why.

"You've no idea of the _true hell_ borne by an assassin's sword. In your ignorance, you took swords away from Yutarō forever. For that, you will pay an _equal price_!"

He could hear Sanosuke and Yahiko talking quietly in the background, but ignored what they were saying to concentrate on his goal of breaking Raijūta's confidence. He'd often been told by those few of his fellow Ishin Shishi who were willing to speak with the feared hitokiri that his amber eyes were unnerving enough when he was just _there_; that they would make the brave quake with fear when he was simply looking at them, and when he was staring... Well. It was a weapon he'd used to as much effect as his sword during the Bakumatsu - as he used it now.

Then he heard Sanosuke say his name, and without breaking his stare, focused enough attention on his two friends to listen to what Sano was saying.

"...Is your right arm-?"

"Yeah," Kenshin admitted. Under ordinary circumstances, he would never have said such a thing with an enemy present, but the fact that he couldn't use it properly was obvious to everyone there; and admitting it might help his plan for Raijūta even further. "The anesthetic's still in effect, so it can't be controlled well."

"Huh?"

"What?"

The sound of Yahiko and Raijūta's voices melded together as they spoke at the same time, but Kenshin ignored their exclamations of shock, focused on the battle. "Still, Raijūta," he said, taking a single step forward that his eyes and his demeanour turned into a threat, "to defeat the likes of you, the left arm is quite enough."

"_What?_" Raijūta yelled, fury obvious on his face. He was going to lose control soon... "Fool! You've insulted me once too often! You give me no choice now but to _kill_ you!"

_You're the fool, Raijūta,_ Kenshin thought as he dodged the other's renewed attacks. _A fool if you think you can kill me, and a fool if you think one such as you can truly survive killing._

He had to admit that even angry, Raijūta's ability and his combination of his main attacks were reasonably impressive - it was certainly managing to keep him at a distance. But it was not impressive enough. Kenshin knew how this battle would end; once he had the opportunity to make his move, Raijūta would never hold a sword again.

Abruptly another attack got through, this time slicing into his left leg. Again, it was a fairly shallow cut; the exact position of his legs was disguised by his _hakama_.

"Kenshin!" came a yell from Yahiko.

Kenshin ignored the shout. It was almost time... he could feel it.

"It's hopeless," Raijūta said, with apparent calm. Calm that was only surface - even if the other swordsman was confident that the hit had put him at a disadvantage, Kenshin could sense that the doubts he had planted in the other man's mind were worrying at him, like a wolf with his teeth in a haunch of meat. "Fast as you are, you can't move well with an injured leg."

_Yes, truly a fool._ "Again, don't get so happy about a scratch," Kenshin advised him calmly.

"Keep it up! What can you even _do_, at this distance?" Raijūta taunted. "Not unless you can use the _Flying Izuna_!" He spat in an attempt to show contempt.

It didn't work, of course. Despite all that Kenshin had said and done, Raijūta didn't understand who he was dealing with - was still trying to treat him as though he were an ordinary swordsman. "The 'Tobi Izuna' is, for this one, not possible," he said, still calm.

"I will win this match because I control the zone!" Raijūta shouted. "_Die!_" He started to swing.

_Now!_ "But still it's possible to attack from _outside_ the zone!" Kenshin retorted, and started his spin. "_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū! Battō-jutsu!_"

He heard all three of the others shout, "What?" in disbelief; Sanosuke and Yahiko had no doubt thought it impossible for him to use _battō-jutsu_ with his right arm injured.

_There's a __reason__ I was given the name 'Battōsai'..._

Carefully judging Raijūta's position and the amount of force he'd built up, Kenshin unlocked his sakabatō - and released it with a shout of, "Hi Ryū Sen!"

The pommel hit Raijūta on the bridge of his nose, right between the eyes, as Kenshin's hair-tie snapped with the cessation of the centrifugal force; and he watched calmly as Raijūta crashed to the ground.

_Done,_ he thought, satisfied, and headed over to pick up his sakabatō.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted triumphantly, and started running toward him.

Kenshin had just knelt down and started to reach for the hilt when Raijūta abruptly grabbed Yahiko's foot as the boy ran past and came to his knees, lifting Yahiko into the air.

"D-don't move!" Raijūta shouted, pointing his sword toward Yahiko. He was panting and nervous sweat was running down his face, mixing with the blood from his nose. "Move, and I'll kill the boy!"

Kenshin studied him for a moment, reaching out to feel his _ki_ again - and then clasped his hand around the hilt of his sakabatō. Raijūta wouldn't do what he threatened.

"I mean it! I'll kill him! D-drop your sword!"

"So kill me," Yahiko interrupted, his tone impatient.

_Oh, yes, his nerve is definitely gone. Yahiko is good with a sword, but he's young, and he's never been taught to sense __ki__ - and even he can feel it._

"Kill me if you can!" Yahiko shouted at the other man. "Like I'm afraid to die by _you_?"

Raijūta was - unsurprisingly - speechless.

"He says do it," Sanosuke put in easily. "Why don't you?"

Kenshin rose to his feet, absently thinking that they had probably better not mention _this_ conversation to Kaoru. "You're always talking about _satsujin-ken_," he said coolly. He took a step toward Raijūta, then another one, keeping his gaze fixed steadily on the other man. He'd already broken Raijūta's nerve - it wouldn't take that much more pressure to break him completely. And that was precisely what Kenshin now intended to do. He was coldly pleased by the effects of his still-amber stare, made clear by the increase of sweat pouring down Raijūta's face.

"_Satsujin-ken_ - the 'killing art'." He put a touch of the contempt he felt for the other man in his voice as he continued, "It's not about _scrolls_ or _ancient styles_. It's about the weight of the _lives_ you've taken, dragging you down to hell. _That_... is _satsujin-ken_." _I kill if I must... but it is not something I enjoy; nor do I take it lightly. Taking someone's life - their __future__ - away from them is a truly terrible thing. If you do not recognize that, you do not deserve the sword you try to bear._ "If you can't understand that much, even defeating Yahiko is beyond you."

Raijūta's eyes grew wide with panic as he finally - _finally_ - recognized that he was facing someone who _had_ killed - often enough to understand what it meant. He might not have made the connection with Hitokiri Battōsai - though Kenshin wasn't certain how that was possible, considering how widely his description had been circulated combined with the fact that he _had_ dropped the act of the mild-mannered rurouni - but he knew he was facing a manslayer.

_And now it is __truly__ finished,_ Kenshin thought, as Raijūta dropped Yahiko and screamed his denial and his understanding. _He will never pick up a sword again. __Never._

"Now what?" Sanosuke asked, walking past Yahiko to stand next to Kenshin. "Should we break his arm or something?"

"No need for that," Kenshin replied, as he watched Raijūta grip his head, still sweating with panic. "His confidence is gone. He'll never recover as a swordsman." He blinked, sensing his eyes slipping back to blue as the force of his emotions ebbed. Sympathetic pain for the wound in Yutarō's soul replaced the battle-rage as Kenshin pushed his emotions further back, forcing the blue to fade to the violet of the 'rurouni'. "Also... it won't help to bring back Yutarō's right arm."

The reminder of why the fight had taken place sobered both of the others.

"Come; we should return to Gensai-sensei's clinic, that we should," Kenshin added, as he finished slipping back into his accustomed role. "And this one thinks it would be very wise if we did not tell Kaoru-dono some of the details of what happened. She would not be happy about what was said when Raijūta was holding Yahiko, that she would not."

Sanosuke and Yahiko exchanged glances, their expressions clearly telling Kenshin that they agreed with him about _that_, at least.

He had no doubt that they _would_ tell Kaoru about his 'reversion' to Battōsai, and he wasn't looking forward to that conversation... but that would be far easier to deal with than her reaction to what had just happened - all he would have to do was arrange to do something mildly idiotic or irritating, and she would be reassured. If they told her Yahiko and Sano had been taunting Raijūta _while he was holding Yahiko_, not to mention _holding a sword on him_ - well, _that_ was something that she wouldn't let them forget any time soon.

However, Kenshin had the feeling that he was going to have to be more careful around Sanosuke. The younger man was quite observant, and he had fought Kenshin before, which gave him an insight neither Kaoru nor Yahiko possessed. He had not actually guessed the truth today - there would have been no mistaking it if Sano had seen that this was not a temporary reversion, but the lifting of a mask - yet that was no guarantee that he would not notice eventually, especially if any other situations such as those with Jin-e or Raijūta occurred.

Yes, he was definitely going to have to be more cautious.

* * *

**Glossary**

_hitokiri wa hitokiri_: a hitokiri (assassin) is a hitokiri (tends to imply "forever")  
_Kyoto Mimawarigumi_: lit. "Kyoto Patrol Group"; another group of samurai and ronin who supported the Shogunate and patrolled the streets of Kyoto - referenced in the anime, episodes 15 & 16.


	2. C1P1: An Interrogation

Author's Note #1: Most of the dialogue in Chapter 1 was taken from Acts 48-53 of the Rurouni Kenshin manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san; some of it modified slightly by bits from the anime.

Author's Note #2: Due to the length of the chapters of **EotB**, each chapter has been divided into 4 parts that will be posted separately. Pt. 2 will be up within the week, since Pt. 1 is so short; Pts. 3 & 4 will be later.

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Disclaimer in Prologue (first part).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing...  
Minor edit: Thurs. May 18/06.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Saitō Hajime - Mibu's Wolf**

_Part 1: An Interrogation_

The man known at present as Lieutenant Fujita Gorō, currently seconded to the Tokyo police by the order of Superintendent-General Kawaji Toshiyoshi, leaned back against the wall and blew a cloud of smoke from his cigarette into the face of the man seated on the wooden bench across from him. Uramura's men had been questioning him for hours concerning how he had acquired his injuries - and from whom - and had found out nothing; he was too frightened to speak to them.

Fujita had no need to question him about that. He knew precisely who had injured Isurugi Raijūta, and he had an excellent idea as to how and why it had been done. He required different information from the defeated swordsman; but he had to wait until Uramura's men left before he went after it.

Ostensibly, he was here in Tokyo as a member of the police sword corps, as an exchange officer from the Kyoto police - which was why he had been called in to help deal with the interrogation of Isurugi. Chief of Tokyo Police Uramura was the only one who knew of his assignment to discover the identity of the person who had employed the hitokiri Udō Jin-e; but even he was unaware that the investigation into the 'Kurogasa Incident', as it was known, was only Lt. Fujita's _secondary_ assignment - which was the way Fujita preferred it. The fewer who knew a secret, after all, the easier it was to keep.

However, that _did_ mean that he could not afford to have his own questions for Isurugi overheard, much less get back to Uramura. The involvement of Hitokiri Battōsai in the Kurogasa incident was only peripheral to the investigation of who had hired Udō; so as far as Uramura knew, there should be no reason for Lt. Fujita to inquire any further into Battōsai's presence and actions. Not to mention the fact that he would undoubtedly be curious as to how Fujita could _know_ it had been Battōsai who had defeated Isurugi so thoroughly that the man's spirit was utterly broken.

It was that last matter that had been puzzling him for the past four hours, ever since Isurugi Raijūta had been brought in, after supposedly having been found by a certain Tsukayama Yuzaemon (the father of Tsukayama Yutarō, who had spent most of the afternoon at the Ogura Clinic being treated for a disabling injury to his right arm, according to one of Fujita's spies). Over the past three weeks, since he'd arrived here, Fujita Gorō had assembled a detailed picture of Battōsai's actions over the last few months, as well as put together all the rumours he, Kawaji and Ōkubo had heard over the past ten years of a wandering red-haired swordsman who refused to kill - and that assembled information did _not_ fit properly with what Battōsai had done to Isurugi. He had physically crippled Udō Jin-e; even with his right arm wounded (his spy had reported that as well), it would have been simple enough for him to do the same to Isurugi.

Instead, Battōsai had chosen to break him mentally. Fujita had a reasonably good idea of how he had done that - the amber gaze of the 'demon of Kyoto' had been too hard for many to deal with even in the middle of the Bakumatsu and the bloodiest war Kyoto had ever known; it must have been even harder to face in the middle of Meiji - especially by someone who, as far as Fujita had been able to determine, had no idea of who he was truly facing. Nonetheless, the question remained: _why_ had Battōsai chosen that? It was something he would have expected from the hitokiri he'd faced ten years ago in Kyoto, not from the wandering 'rurouni' Battōsai now claimed to be.

_So, is he beginning to revert back to the hitokiri, after ten years of wandering? Or is there more going on underneath the surface?_

Ōkubo and Kawaji - all of Japan, in fact - needed the hitokiri; that was why they'd sent him, of all their agents, to evaluate the situation here. Both Fujita and Ōkubo knew that if anyone could force the rurouni Himura Kenshin to revert to Battōsai, it would be him - particularly if he ended up having to threaten or injure one of the rurouni's friends. That would be almost guaranteed to bring him back to the Bakumatsu, when they had faced each other as the Hitokiri Battōsai and Captain Saitō Hajime of the Shinsengumi Third Unit. _But if there __is__ something more going on..._

He felt a wolfish smile cross his face - one that was slightly at odds with the more easygoing persona of Fujita Gorō, but not _entirely_ out of character; and then let it widen as the officer who had been handling the past hour of unsuccessful questioning gave up and nodded to him. "You can have him now, Lieutenant Fujita," the officer said, gesturing for his assistants to leave. "And I wish you better luck with him than I have had."

"Thank you," he replied, and waited until they were all out of the room and had closed the door behind them. Then he turned back to Isurugi Raijūta, and let the mask of Fujita Gorō drop entirely. "Let's start," Saitō Hajime said, his smile turning deadly, "with the details of how you met Himura Kenshin."

* * *

Chief Uramura was waiting for him when he left the interrogation room two hours later. "Were you able to obtain any information from him, Lieutenant Fujita?" he inquired.

Saitō casually lit another cigarette and brought it to his lips. "He still doesn't appear inclined to talk, but I suspect he may have had an encounter with bandits," he replied calmly.

Uramura frowned. "Bandits?" he repeated sceptically.

Saitō smiled coolly. "He isn't seriously injured. And from what I've heard of him during the course of my investigations into the local yakuza, it would not surprise me if they were hirelings of his who were dissatisfied with something he did - which would explain why he does not care to tell us what happened. He is _not_ a brave man."

Uramura didn't appear to be all that certain, but he wasn't about to challenge Superintendent-General Kawaji's agent, particularly when it might involve the investigation he had been sent here to conduct. "Then do you have any suggestions as to what we ought to do with him now?"

"In this case he was the injured party," Saitō pointed out. "We may as well let him go."

Judging by the expression on Uramura's face, he'd just reinforced the impression that Isurugi Raijūta was somehow involved in his investigation into Udō Jin-e - which was exactly what Saitō wanted. He didn't need to have Uramura asking Isurugi any additional questions about what had happened - or about what _he_ had asked.

"An interesting suggestion. I suppose we might as well." Uramura sighed and eyed the door distastefully. "Now you should go home, Lieutenant," he added. "It's quite late."

Saitō took another draw on his cigarette before nodding and starting away.

As he walked out of the station, Saitō's thoughts went back to his questioning of Isurugi.

To truly know and understand a swordsman, the best source of information was their opponents - either questioning them, or becoming an opponent oneself. Saitō had been Hitokiri Battōsai's opponent, but he was not yet ready to become the opponent of the rurouni Himura Kenshin; which left him with the only option being to question others.

He couldn't question Udō Jin-e, as the hitokiri was dead; the okashira Shinomori Aoshi had vanished, although Saitō _did_ have people keeping an eye out for him - Shinomori was skilled enough to be potentially useful; Takeda Kanryū was insane; Sakaki Toma was in prison in Kyoto, and thus currently unavailable; the Hiruma brothers were useless, as well as having been sent to Osaka to face charges there; and Sagara Sanosuke was one of those who had gathered around Himura. Which meant that Isurugi had been his only option for obtaining information from one who had faced Himura Kenshin over a sword since he had arrived in Tokyo.

Unfortunately, Isurugi was a moron, as well as remarkably unobservant for one trained to the sword, and hadn't known much - he hadn't even realized that Himura was Battōsai; but even morons could be useful at times. The answers Saitō had managed to obtain from him - while not enough to provide any definite conclusions - _were_ sufficient to determine that there _was_ something unusual going on with Battōsai.

Saitō took one last draw of his cigarette before crushing it underfoot. _I've left the observation of Battōsai to my men long enough. I've almost found the first link in the chain between Udō Jin-e and Shishio; another week or two should be long enough for me to make contact. And if I manage to work things out well enough... Shishio must already know that Battōsai is here, which makes it likely he will want him taken care of._ The cold smile that crossed his face was part of what had kept him the epithet of 'Miburō', even after the Shinsengumi were gone. _Yes, that __will__ work out well._

* * *

**Glossary**

_Miburō_: originally referred to the "Ronin of Mibu", a group of ronin based out of Mibu who became the Shinsengumi, it quickly became known as "Wolves of Mibu" due to the depredations of two of the three original commanders of the Shinsengumi, Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki. Despite Watsuki-san's use of it as an honourable term for the Shinsengumi, it was much more of an insult.


	3. C1P2: Dreams of Blood

Author's Note: From now on, updates will be done on an average (one hopes!) of about once a month.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C1P1 (second page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing...  
Minor edits: Thurs. May 18/06.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Saitō Hajime - Mibu's Wolf**

_Part 2: Dreams of Blood_

The stars glittered brightly in the night sky, adding their faint light to the glow of the full moon that illuminated the street, the dead and dying bodies, and the three living men who faced each other across the remains of the squad of Shinsengumi. It was a confrontation that had repeated itself several times over the past two and a half years, since the aftermath of the attack at Ikeda-ya: Okita Sōshi, Captain of the Shinsengumi First Unit; Saitō Hajime, Captain of the Shinsengumi Third Unit; and Himura Battōsai, hitokiri and bodyguard for the Chōshū Ishin Shishi.

He waited patiently, sword held loosely in one hand. He could afford to wait, for a few minutes at least; by now, Katsura-san's group would have almost reached the inn, and there would be no way for Okita, Saitō, or any reinforcements they might be expecting to catch up with Katsura-san before he reached safety. He had safely accomplished his primary duty tonight.

Okita took a step forward, raising his sword with an obvious intent to challenge; but Saitō was swifter, stepping in front of the other Shinsengumi.

"Okita-kun," the captain of the third unit said, "please step back."

"Don't worry about _me_," Okita said confidently, grinning. "I'm still captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi." He moved his sword into a ready position.

"But are you not ill in the lungs?" Saitō countered, as Battōsai watched them patiently. One or the other of them would fight him, that was inevitable. At the moment, it didn't matter to him which of them it was; his previous duels with both had always ended in draws.

Okita appeared surprised by Saitō's knowledge, and Saitō gave him a thin smile and continued, "My eyes are not blind." Then Battōsai felt Saitō's full focus shift to him. "I, Saitō Hajime, captain of the Third Shinsengumi Unit, _will_ kill Hitokiri Battōsai."

_You can try,_ he thought calmly, watching Saitō carefully and stretching out his senses to feel what he could of Saitō's _ki_. _You have before, and never yet succeeded; what makes you think this time will be any different?_

The stance Saitō sank into was instantly recognizable: it was the stance for _Gatotsu_, Saitō's powerful left single-handed thrust.

He lifted his sword and prepared himself.

"Ready," Saitō said... and they _moved_...

* * *

"_Kenshin!_"

His eyes opened wide in surprise.

"C'mon! Get up!" a boy's voice said impatiently.

"Our training visit's over, Kenshin," added a female voice.

He blinked. "...Kenshin...?" No one called him that, not even Katsura-san, who was likely the only one who remembered his personal name; even Okami-san called him 'Himura-san'...

"We're _talking_, here!" the young boy exclaimed.

_They're too close... too loud..._ He forcibly restrained the urge to move away until he knew more about what was happening.

"Is there _another_ 'Kenshin' around?"

"What were you dreaming about?" the girl added, a touch of concern in her voice.

_Dreaming? I was dreaming?_ He blinked again - and his surroundings abruptly slid into focus. They were in the Maekawa dojo; the voices were those of Yahiko and Kaoru, both of whom were regarding him with expressions of concern.

"My apologies, Kaoru-dono, Yahiko," Kenshin said quietly. "This one did not intend to cause you concern." He stood up, and tied his sheath into his _obi_, uncomfortably aware that he was being watched with open curiosity by a number of the students. "If your training session is finished, then we should be going, should we not?"

"That's what we were just saying!" Yahiko declared. "C'mon, let's get on home!"

* * *

They had been walking for about five minutes, Kenshin lagging behind the other two, when Kaoru reiterated the question that had brought him out of his memories. "What were you dreaming about, Kenshin?"

Kenshin hesitated for a second, unsure of whether to tell them or not, then decided there was unlikely to be any harm in it. "This one was dreaming about a confrontation many years ago, with the Shinsengumi," he replied.

"Shinsengumi?" Kaoru repeated. "I _thought_ you were in a deeper sleep than usual. You were dreaming about your past."

_Yes - dreams that I haven't had for many years..._ "Those days haven't visited in a very long time," Kenshin murmured out loud, wondering absently what could have triggered it.

"When you say 'Shinsengumi'," Yahiko started, interrupting his thoughts, "you mean the _famous army_ that fought the revolutionaries, right?"

Kenshin couldn't help but be somewhat amused by the fact that Yahiko seemed to be impressed. "Yes, that 'famous army'," he answered. _I wonder what Okita or Saitō would say to that description?_ "Our swords crossed many times; they focused most of their attention on the Chōshū Ishin Shishi. They were our nemesis." His eyes grew somewhat distant as he found himself remembering Kyoto.

"Originally, the Shinsengumi were a group of swordsmen of the Edo Tama region, employed by the Guardian of Kyoto. The revolutionaries had fallen to fighting their individual feuds. Kyoto became a city of bloody wind and glistening blades. That's when the Shinsengumi took up their blades to uphold its laws.

"They called them the _Wolves of Mibu_. They shook Kyoto with their well-trained swords, their striped light-blue jackets, their lack of fear of death... and their red banner, bearing the character _Makoto_ - truth. They fell in their fight against modern weapons and the tides of time - but they were and always will be the largest and strongest group of swordsmen known to Japanese history," he finished.

Kaoru looked doubtful. "But they say the Shinsengumi launched _group attacks_ on single fighters. Isn't that a bit cowardly?"

"Their mission wasn't to duel," Kenshin corrected her. _Although Saitō certainly never hesitated because of that during our encounters... but then, I __was__ an enemy; I suppose I never truly fell into the 'personal duels' category._ "It was to _keep peace_ in Kyoto. Not all of them were strong or honourable, it's true. But the officers, especially the leaders of the first, second, and third of the ten units... _they_ were _astonishing_. This one fought against those three several times, but never were those fights finished."

Kenshin looked into the distance, remembering how he'd felt when he'd first heard the news of Okita's death in hospital, and the rumours of Saitō's death in Aizu during the Boshin War...

"Rumour has all those officers dead now... It feels a huge loss," he added quietly, more to himself than to his companions.

"You're pretty sympathetic," Yahiko commented. "Weren't they your enemies?"

"Mm... Sort of," Kenshin replied. How to explain to Yahiko - or even to Kaoru - the peculiar mixture of respect and enmity he'd felt for the most honourable members of the Shinsengumi? Of all of the friends he'd made in Tokyo, it was likely that Sanosuke would be the only one who could come close to understanding; but Kenshin doubted that even he could realize the full depth of those feelings.

Nonetheless, he had to try. While he _hoped_ it would never have to happen, the world was not a perfect place, and Yahiko could one day find himself facing an enemy as honourable as he was. "We were on different sides," Kenshin said slowly, "but it was nothing personal. Whatever our politics, we all fought with lives and philosophies riding on our swords." _Risking death for our beliefs, knowing and accepting that it could happen at any time. __We__ were the same, as Jin-e and I never were._ "Compared to the ex-revolutionaries holding government posts right now, time seems to have brought _them_ even closer," he added.

"Wow..." Kaoru murmured.

Kenshin glanced at her curiously. "You find that odd?"

"No, it's not that," she explained. "It's just... I'm not used to you talking so much about your past."

Kenshin froze, his words of a few minutes ago coming back to haunt him. _"Those days haven't visited in a very long time."_ He was only vaguely aware that Kaoru and Yahiko had moved on ahead. _Those dreams ought to have been long past. Why now? What is bringing them back?_

* * *

Saitō shifted the box of medicine to a slightly more comfortable position as he walked up the street toward the Kamiya dojo. He had seen the street-fighter Sagara Sanosuke walk in this direction about five minutes ago, which meant that the young thug would be at the dojo alone, as Battōsai, the Kamiya girl and the Myōjin boy had all gone off to the Maekawa dojo on the other side of the ward. And since he had a meeting arranged with the man who had hired Udō Jin-e tonight - during which there was an excellent chance that he would be offered a job, with his first task being to kill Battōsai - the timing could not have been better had he planned it all himself. All that remained was to set the stage and wait.

Sliding the dojo's front gate open, he stepped in to see Sagara sitting on the porch.

"Hello," he said.

Sagara looked up, appearing surprised. "And _you_ are...?" he asked, as Saitō walked forward.

"How are you today?" Saitō asked politely. "I've come from Tama, selling the Ishida powdered medicine." _I wonder what Hijikata would think, using Ishida medicine to set a trap for Battōsai?_ "Fujita Gorō is the name." He removed his cap and offered Sagara a cool smile, then put the box down on the porch and opened it.

"Do you know Ishida powder?" he continued, holding up a bag of the medicine as Sagara stood up. "It works wonders for bruises and fractures."

"Whoa, whoa," Sagara interrupted. "This isn't my place. They're all out somewhere."

Saitō rubbed his chin - a habit he'd cultivated as Fujita Gorō. "_Oh_... I see. Too bad."

There was a flicker in Sagara's _ki_, and Saitō hid a smile. _He's noticed something... So, perhaps he relies on more than merely his fists._

"Hey, you," Sagara said, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes?"

"Your eyes are awfully squinty-looking..."

_That's__ what he noticed?_ "I was born with them," Saitō said coolly.

"Is that right? If so..." Sagara grabbed his wrist, twisting it so that his palm was facing upwards. "Where does a _medicine seller_ get these _calluses_?" he demanded, looking pointedly at the sword-calluses that were clearly visible on Saitō's hand. "Who are you really?"

_Then again... not too bad, Sagara. For a thug._ "Heh... You're quite observant, Sagara Sanosuke," he said coolly, letting his eyes open a bit more.

Sagara jerked back, obviously surprised, and Saitō chuckled. "So, Battōsai is not at home," he remarked, reaching up for the hilt of the cane-sword he'd hidden under his _gi_. "In that case, I shall have to leave him... a gift," he continued, sliding the sword out.

"Carrying a concealed weapon..." Sagara muttered. Then he glared at Saitō. "You came here to _fight_, did you?"

Saitō chuckled again, and licked the blade of the sword - an old habit from facing the 'demon of Kyoto'.

"Fine with me," Sagara declared, slamming his fists together, in a move that was no doubt meant to look impressive. "Then let's fight! Your true identity will be found with this fist!"

With that, he delivered a firm punch to Saitō's cheek; a punch Saitō pulled back from, lessening the force that reached him.

Compared to a number of blows he'd taken - most of them delivered by Battōsai - Sagara's punch was nothing. Powerful, yes, but not so much so that it did any damage.

"Good," he said calmly, as the dust stirred up by his rapid movement backward began to settle again. "Your punch lives up to its reputation." The shock was clearly visible on Sagara's face, as well as echoing through his _ki_, and Saitō felt amused. Did Sagara really think he would have permitted the punch if he'd thought it would harm him? He shook his head and slid easily into the beginning stance for _Gatotsu_. "But only in this age of weakness, called _Meiji_. In Kyoto, during the Bakumatsu, a punch like _that_ would be _nothing_."

Saitō narrowed his eyes - and then _moved_, aiming for Sagara's shoulder. He didn't want to give Battōsai cause to kill him over a _message_, after all.

The force of his lunge pierced Sagara's shoulder and flung him straight through the outside wall of the dojo to crash into the floor halfway across the room. It also snapped the cane-sword in half.

Once he had stopped his slide across the floor, Saitō looked at the remains of the cane-sword with a shake of his head. "Ah, yes," he murmured, and tossed the half he still held over his shoulder in disgust. "Cane-swords are easy to carry, but have the durability of toys. There is still no match for the katana."

The sound of Sagara getting to his feet behind him and the flare of his _ki_ - somewhat weaker than before - brought Saitō's head around.

Sagara was standing unsteadily, blood flowing down from the wound in his shoulder, eyes unfocused, and panting. "Which way you facing, squinty-eyes?" he demanded. "It's not over yet!"

_Stubborn,_ Saitō thought; it _wasn't_ a compliment. The street-fighter would have been much wiser to simply stay on the floor and let him leave; now he was going to have to do more damage. "You're resilient," he commented, turning around to face Sagara. "But you should have stayed down. The blow may not be fatal, but it is serious."

"Shut up!" Sagara yelled. "I'm wounded, but your _sword_ is _broken_! This fight is just starting!"

_Observant and resilient - but also stubborn and stupid,_ Saitō thought, as he easily deflected the punch Sagara threw at him with his right hand, and then delivered an open-handed punch to Sagara's wounded shoulder with his left, pushing the broken-off blade farther into the wound. As Sagara gasped in pain, Saitō gripped his wrist, placed his other hand over Sagara's face, and forced him down. "Time to sleep," he said grimly, and slammed the street-fighter's head into the floor, knocking him into unconsciousness. _Very stupid._

Standing back up, Saitō examined the area carefully.

The wound, the broken sword, and the hole in the dojo wall would be more than sufficient to let Battōsai know what blow had hit Sagara. The box of Ishida medicine, which he would recognize as being from the Hijikata family, would serve to confirm it - and perhaps, if Battōsai thought about it carefully, provide an additional hint as to what this was about.

And if his suspicions about the rurouni were correct... the fact that Sagara was not dead would serve as a message in and of itself.

* * *

_There is no sense to it. Nothing I have seen or done over the past several days had anything to do with the Shinsengumi - and most definitely did not have enough to cause such a dream-_

"...Kenshin?" came Kaoru's voice.

Kenshin blinked and looked up to where Kaoru and Yahiko had stopped, just in front of him. "Hm...?"

Kaoru looked impatient. "The sun'll set us on fire if we don't hurry," she said a bit sharply.

Kenshin blinked again, puzzled by the comment. What was Kaoru speaking about? Then, as Yahiko turned to say something to her, he found himself drawn back into his thoughts.

_When was the last time I even thought about the Shinsengumi?_ he wondered, even as he sensed Megumi's _ki_ approaching. Her presence didn't draw him out of his contemplations, however; Megumi was not a threat, but the dream might presage one. Better to decipher it now...

_Ah, yes, the fight with Raijūta, when he informed me he would defeat me._ Kenshin frowned slightly. _That was almost three weeks ago; it should not have suddenly begun troubling me now. Was there anything else? Perhaps something I sensed, rather than saw? There has to be __some__ reason behind the dream; I would not have been so thoroughly trapped in it as to not recognize where I was when I awoke, otherwise-_

"Hey, Kenshin." Megumi's voice was the one to interrupt his thoughts this time. "_You_ don't mind if I come over, do you?"

"...No," Kenshin replied after a moment. Megumi could keep Yahiko and Kaoru occupied - and ensure that Kaoru didn't ruin dinner - while he concentrated on discovering the answers.

Then Megumi's face took on the same concerned expression Kaoru and Yahiko had shared when he woke up. "You seem really down," she commented, leaning a bit closer, her voice worried. "Would you like me to take a look at you?"

_Down?_ Kenshin wondered, puzzled, as he met her eyes for a long moment. This wasn't one of her usual teases; she was genuinely concerned about him. _Why would she think-_

Comprehension dawned with the sudden alarmed realization that his usual mask of good humour had slipped, and he'd been so preoccupied with his dream that he hadn't noticed before Megumi had called his attention to it.

_Kuso! How could I have let this happen?_ If he continued to let his guard down like this, he could end up getting all of them killed!

_First things first - I've got to pull the mask back on,_ he thought firmly to himself. _It will only worry the others even more if I don't - they're not accustomed to seeing me this serious outside of battle situations._

Consciously relaxing and pushing his worries to one side, Kenshin plastered a reassuring smile on his face and assured Megumi, "No, I'm all right. Really, it's nothing."

Megumi studied his face carefully, but Kenshin had learned to completely mask his true feelings shortly after he had first joined the Ishin Shishi, and had begun learning to cover that mask with another, of emotions he didn't necessarily feel, shortly after Toba Fushimi; the intervening ten years of practice had made both masks nearly perfect, and there were very few who would have both the knowledge and ability to see what flaws were left. Megumi was not one of them.

She shrugged. "Well, as long as you're sure..."

"This one is certain," Kenshin said cheerfully.

"C'mon, let's go!" Yahiko called impatiently, already starting to walk. "I'm getting hungry!"

"_You..._" Kaoru started, hurrying after him.

Kenshin and Megumi exchanged an amused look that clearly said, _'Children,'_ and sped up enough to catch up to the other two.

As they continued toward the dojo, Kenshin forced himself to keep the majority of his attention on the others, moving his concern over the dream to the back of his mind for the present. He definitely didn't want them worrying any further - and considering the fact that his thoughts had simply been going in circles, he was unlikely to be able to resolve the puzzle it presented at the moment. _There's no use dwelling in dreams of the past,_ he decided, as he slid open the dojo's gate. _No, the answers will no doubt come in-_

His eyes widened in shock at the sight in front of them. The wall next to the door of the dojo had a large hole - just the right size for a body - punched right through it.

"What is this...?" Megumi gasped.

"What happened here?" Yahiko demanded at the same time.

Kenshin was frozen for a long moment as a sweet, coppery scent - one more familiar to him than the sharpness of _sake_ or the gentleness of cherry blossoms - teased at his senses, recalling memories of hundreds of fights; and, even stronger than those, the memory of his dream. _The smell of blood..._

And then he was running forward, already _knowing_, instinctively, what he would find - there was only one member of his immediate circle of friends missing from the group at the gate. He shoved the door open.

"_Sano!_"

He hurried into the main room of the dojo, distantly aware that Megumi and Kaoru were right behind him, and fell to his knees beside Sanosuke, taking in the details of his wound - and feeling cold anger race through him once more, mingled with the beginnings of furious understanding.

There was a broken-off blade buried in his shoulder - a blade that would have been parallel to the ground when it pierced the skin. Based on the blood trail, Sanosuke had been thrown through the wall from the yard, and landed a short distance away from where he was lying right now. He'd then stood up, either stepped or lunged forward, and been pushed back and onto the floor again - which had undoubtedly been the blow that knocked him unconscious.

As Megumi joined him, leaning over to examine the wound, Kenshin stood back up and looked around the dojo more carefully.

The other half of the blade - a cane-sword, from the looks of it - was lying carelessly on the floor by the side wall, where it appeared to have been tossed. And he'd seen something out of place on the porch when he had run up...

"Sano!" Yahiko exclaimed in shock, as he got through the door. "What happened?"

"Never mind that!" Megumi snapped. "We've got to move him - get him to a room where I can treat him. The wound isn't fatal by itself - but if we don't treat him soon, blood-loss and shock could be. Ken-san, can you help me carry him?"

Kenshin turned back from where he'd been walking toward the porch to confirm what he thought he'd noticed. "Of course, Megumi-dono," he replied quietly, giving his head a slight shake to ensure his bangs stayed over his eyes.

"Take his head and shoulders," she ordered, as he returned to stand beside her. "Try to keep them as flat as possible. Kaoru, we're going to need a room..."

"We'll use the guest room right next to here," Kaoru said, hurrying over to the far end and opening the door that led to the house. "I'll set out the futon," she continued, as Kenshin bent down and carefully lifted Sanosuke's upper torso and Megumi lifted his legs.

"Yahiko, while we're getting him settled, I need you to get water and start heating it up," Megumi continued. "Then once you've done that, run over to the clinic and bring me back my medical kit."

"Right," Yahiko agreed, and hurried out the door toward the well.

"The room's ready," Kaoru said, as Kenshin and Megumi carefully carried Sanosuke into the hall.

"Good. I'll need bandages immediately; and then as soon as Yahiko brings the water in, I need you to keep an eye on it until it boils. Once that happens, bring it in to me."

"All right," Kaoru replied, hurrying down the hall to the room where she kept the dojo's medical supplies.

"Ken-san, I'm going to need help removing the blade from his shoulder, and then keeping pressure on the wound..."

"Of course," Kenshin repeated, still in that same quiet tone of voice. It was a tone he knew that none of the others would recognize; one he hadn't used in over ten years. A tone suited more to the then-bloody streets of Kyoto than to this dojo.

* * *

Kenshin had helped Megumi as she'd requested; then, as soon as Yahiko had returned with her medical supplies, he'd removed himself to the dojo. The first thing he did there was to check just outside the door; and he found the box of Ishida medicine exactly where he'd thought he had seen it.

He then examined the floor of the dojo in more detail, with the help of a candle, and found the scuff marks from where the swordsman had slid across the floor, propelled by the force of his own blow.

_Well, I now have an answer to the question about the dream,_ he reflected grimly, fingering the broken blade he'd removed from Sanosuke's shoulder, paying little attention to the blood that slid down onto his hands. _It all adds up: Ishida medicine was sold by the Hijikata family; the blade parallel to the ground - that's unmistakably from the parallel thrust Hijikata Toshizō developed for the Shinsengumi; and the power behind the blow..._ Kenshin looked from the hole in the wall to the spot on the floor where the signs said Sanosuke had landed. _The sheer power of the blow can __only__ be from __Gatotsu__._

He put the broken blade down on the floor, still ignoring the drying blood on his hands. _Rumour had Saitō killed during his defense of Castle Wakamatsu; and I believed it, because alive, he was easily as dangerous to the Meiji government as Kondō, Okita, or Hijikata. But then, according to rumour,_ Kenshin gave the empty room a grim, unamused smile, his eyes glittering amber-flecked blue in the candlelight, _I was the height of Hiruma Gohei, or taller, and a demon with a lust for blood and death. Obviously rumour was mistaken._

Sitting down against the unbroken wall of the dojo, with the candle just in front of him, he settled his sakabatō against his shoulder and leaned back. _And as for the dream... I must have sensed __something__ of his presence recently, and simply not recognized it. I __did__ believe him over nine years dead, after all._

Taking another look around the dojo, Kenshin finally focused his attention on the flickering flame of the candle. _However, even accepting that Saitō is alive, it still does __not__ make sense. For me to have sensed him so vaguely that I had no conscious knowledge of it, but clearly enough for me to have had that dream, he must have been watching me for some time. Which implies that he must have known we were out when he showed up here - Saitō has __never__ left anything to chance, nor has he ever been careless. His attack on Sano... He used __Gatotsu__, but struck specifically to __wound__, not kill; Sano would have been dead instantly if Saitō had wanted him to be. And leaving the pieces of the sword, and the medicine box - that could not have been anything other than a deliberate choice. He definitely wanted me to know that it __was__ him. Why?_

"What are you trying to do?" Kenshin murmured, not looking away from the candle-flame as his mind's eye called up an image of Saitō from the last time he'd seen the Shinsengumi captain, at the battles of Toba Fushimi. "What is it you want, Saitō?"

* * *

Saitō didn't bother to look back at the restaurant he had just left, even as he felt Shibumi's eyes on him.

He was well-pleased with the results of the meeting that had just ended - and rather amused by the fact that Shibumi was quite obviously still terrified of him, even as he tried to act as though he was superior. As Saitō had carefully made sure to mention, in order to support the impression he was giving, he was surprised that the trail he had followed from Udō Jin-e through his middleman had led straight to Shibumi - though he doubted it was for the same reasons Shibumi thought.

Shibumi was a coward and a bureaucrat; not the sort of man Saitō had considered Shishio would be willing to use, even as a pawn. Which suggested that either they were mistaken about Udō Jin-e having been a tool of Shishio's - something that was possible, but highly unlikely - or someone else was involved in the choice and direction of Shishio's pawns - one of his inner circle, probably. He would have to let Ōkubo and Kawaji know - they were going to have to make a few adjustments to their plans to account for that fact.

Not many, however. It was obvious that Shishio was still the one setting the overall goals; after all, they had just hired him to kill Battōsai.

A wolfish grin spread across Saitō's face as he reflected on just how well that part of his plan had gone. Without even realizing it, Shishio, Shibumi and that buffoon Akamatsu had just contributed to their own downfall. And Akamatsu, at least, was likely to contribute further.

By now, Battōsai had received his little gift, and Saitō found himself wondering just what the rurouni had made of it. He looked forward to finding out; but for the present, he would leave Battōsai to think about the implications, while he waited for the next move to take place.

* * *

**Glossary**

_Shinsengumi Leaders_: After the deaths of Serizawa and Niimi (see Glossary of C1P1 and/or RK Notes at http: / www. t1goold. net/ RK/ ) the hierarchy of the group was changed to the most well-known version (information obtained from the Wikipedia English and French entries on the Shinsengumi):

Commander of the Shinsengumi: Kondō Isami  
Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi: Hijikata Toshizō  
Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi: Yamanami Keisuke  
Captain of the First Unit: Okita Sōji/Sōshi  
Captain of the Second Unit: Nagakura Shinpachi  
Captain of the Third Unit: Saitō Hajime  
Captain of the Fourth Unit: Matsubara Chūji  
Captain of the Fifth Unit: Takeda Kanryūsai  
Captain of the Sixth Unit: Inoue Genzaburō  
Captain of the Seventh Unit: Tani Sanjūrō  
Captain of the Eighth Unit: Tōdō Heisuke  
Captain of the Ninth Unit: Suzuki Mikisaburō  
Captain of the Tenth Unit: Harada Sanosuke


	4. C1P3: Preparations for Battle

Author's Note: Again, details on certain historical facts referenced by Kenshin and Saitou are available on my site: www. t1goold. net/ RK/ NotesRK. html (remove spaces).

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C1P1 (second page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing...  
Minor edits: Thurs. May 18/06.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Saitō Hajime - Mibu's Wolf**

_Part 3: Preparations for Battle_

"_Hmf._ One lousy bowl of plain _soba_?"

Saitō didn't bother to look up as Akamatsu Arundo sat down opposite him. He'd known the assassin was there the minute he'd entered the restaurant - for one who claimed to be one of the best, he was terrible at concealing his _ki_ - and Saitō had been expecting this confrontation for the past day. The man was slow. "An economical lunch," he replied calmly.

"Heh... So it is, Saitō-san," Akamatsu said.

Saitō did look up at this, and studied the man sitting opposite him for a moment before returning his attention to his meal. "I love plain _soba_. And it's 'Fujita' now.

"Akamatsu-san, was it?" he continued. "What business do you have with me?"

"None, really," Akamatsu answered. "Only... I don't like you."

_Hardly a surprise,_ Saitō thought in amusement. _Your tone has made that very clear - and your __ki__ even more so._

"I should have been given this job," the assassin continued resentfully. "But Shibumi gave it to you, a total outsider, just because you're from the Shinsengumi. _That_, I don't like."

Saitō didn't say anything, simply waited - although the thought of this buffoon being able to even come close to killing Battōsai was ludicrous.

"Well, if you're going to do it, do it fast. Or hurry up and get killed. Drag this out, and someone might stab you in the back," Akamatsu added, pointing one finger at him; the implication that it would be him was clear.

Saitō chuckled, and took a sip from his bowl.

"_What's so funny?_" Akamatsu demanded, rising to his feet and slamming his hands down on the table.

"Pardon," Saitō offered, putting the bowl back down on the table. "I sympathize completely with your frustration." _Now to bait the hook..._ "Perhaps we could make this a combined effort?"

Akamatsu was obviously taken aback by the suggestion. "Wh-what?"

"It's like this: The other day, I left behind several clues, along with my gift," Saitō explained. "Battōsai _must_ know of my presence by now. But those clues will not lead him to my intentions. So when a letter from me arrives, he cannot help but take the bait and come out."

"So you'll lure him..." Akamatsu said slowly.

"...And you'll _finish_ him," Saitō said. "How's that, Akamatsu-san?"

"Not bad," the assassin admitted. "But... Still, I don't like it."

_He is simply determined to be difficult, I see._ "What don't you like?" Saitō asked patiently.

"Battōsai is the Shinsengumi's nemesis." Akamatsu glared at him suspiciously. "I can't see why you'd give him away so easily."

_This one is as much a moron as Isurugi Raijūta - if not more so. You __do__ seem to attract foolish enemies of late, Battōsai._ "I said that to Shibumi-san. But the old grudges really don't matter anymore." _The grudges don't, at least. However, I've been looking forward to trying your blade again for a long time, Battōsai. It's been __far__ too long since I've had a proper challenge._ "I told you, my wish is to just live my life as I please. Instead of the big money at high risk, I'll take the little money - as long as it's certain. That's the kind of man Fujita Gorō is."

He'd convinced Akamatsu - not that it had been difficult.

"Heh... I still don't like you - but that, I like," the assassin declared, standing up. "I'll take your offer.

"But remember one thing," he added, as he turned to leave. "I'm still the number one assassin in this outfit."

Saitō ignored the unsubtle threat, finishing his bowl of _soba_, and then glanced in the direction Akamatsu had gone with a touch of amusement. "I have no interest in such petty struggles for power," he remarked to no one in particular, and smiled coldly. Things were about to get very interesting.

_And the next move is yours, Battōsai. What will you choose to do with it?_

* * *

Kenshin looked up as a knock came at the dojo's gate. Sliding the wooden door open, he gave the boy standing there an inquiring look. "Yes?"

"Are you Himura-san?" the boy asked, staring at his hair in open fascination.

"Yes, I am," Kenshin replied, a touch warily.

It had been three days since they'd arrived home to find that Sanosuke had been attacked, and he hadn't woken up yet, although Megumi said he was well on the way to recovering.

Kenshin hadn't yet told any of them who had attacked Sanosuke. He still didn't understand _why_ Saitō had done that, much less why he'd only wounded Sano, rather than killing him; although Kenshin _was_ grateful for the latter, it wasn't like Saitō to avoid fatal attacks.

Over the past three days, Kenshin had spent hours puzzling over the few clues Saitō had left for him, along with the meaning behind Saitō's presence here. During that time, he had only been able to come to two conclusions.

First: Saitō _was_ too dangerous for the Meiji government to have been willing to let him live - they'd killed Kondō Isami and Hijikata Toshizō, after all; _unless_ Saitō had actually started working for them.

Second: Whatever Saitō was doing, this was _not_ a challenge; or, at least, not the sort of challenge one would expect between expert swordsmen who were adversaries. If Saitō had wanted a normal challenge, he would have made it clear from the beginning, and he would have never brought Sanosuke into it. He certainly wouldn't have turned it into this elaborate... 'game'.

"Why?" Kenshin added then, studying the boy carefully.

"I thought so," the boy declared. "The man said you had red hair and a scar on your cheek." Kenshin stiffened, knowing precisely who was most likely to have identified him that way, as the boy thrust a folded note at him. "Here - I was told to give you this."

"Thank you," Kenshin said, bowing his head slightly, and the boy grinned and darted away, leaving him to study the note - which was, unsurprisingly, signed 'Hajime'. _Saitō..._ He frowned as he unfolded it.

That the note was definitely in Saitō's handwriting was the first thing Kenshin noticed; he'd seen enough samples of it during the Bakumatsu to identify it immediately, particularly as Saitō had a few unusual quirks in his writing that had made it impossible for the Ishin Shishi to find anyone who was capable of imitating it properly.

The next thing he noticed was the message itself. It _appeared_ as though it was an invitation to meet, suggesting a challenge; but just as the handwriting was distinctively Saitō's, the choice of words was _not_.

To Kenshin, the combination indicated that this was, in fact, an invitation to make the next move in this game Saitō had pulled him into. There would quite likely - though not _definitely_ - be something or someone at the meeting place that would provide him with another hint to what was happening.

"Hey, Kenshin," Yahiko called, and Kenshin looked up to see the boy heading his way with the tofu basket in one hand. "Kaoru wants you to go get some tofu!"

Kenshin slipped Saitō's letter into his sleeve, and gave Yahiko a mild 'rurouni' smile. "Sorry, Yahiko, but this one has an errand to run." _Either way, better to go and find out what I can, than stay here where I can do nothing to help Sano, only keep trying to work out the answers when I don't know all the questions._

_And Saitō knows that, damn him._

Yahiko looked puzzled. "Errand?" he repeated.

"It may take quite a while," Kenshin added, still smiling as he re-opened the dojo's gate, "so make sure you lock up tonight." He slipped out, closing the gate behind him, and started in the direction of the field the letter had told him to come to. If he had the distance right, it would take him just over an hour to get there. _All right, Saitō; I'm coming._

* * *

The field was quite rocky and appeared to be empty of all life, save for a few birds that his appearance disturbed - but Kenshin knew better. There was _someone_ here... he could sense it.

"Saitō," he called. He was fairly sure that it _wasn't_ Saitō - but the instincts honed during the Bakumatsu told him it was best not to let whoever this was know that. "It's as your letter directed. Why don't you show yourself?"

There was the sudden sound of metal - not a sword, something else - moving through air, accompanied by a spike of unfamiliar, hostile _ki_, and Kenshin removed his sheath from his _obi_ and spun around, using the sheath and his momentum to block the chain heading straight for him.

"_Hmph._ Blocking my chain with ease," said the stocky man standing on one of the rocky outcrops. "You _are_ Battōsai, aren't you."

Kenshin had never seen this man before, and he'd never heard of any assassin with that appearance who preferred chains. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Akamatsu Arundo," the man replied, grinning. "I've come to take your life."

* * *

Saitō heard the sound of shouting as he approached the dojo gate, and found himself wondering what was going on. According to the man he'd set on watch, Battōsai had left almost an hour and fifteen minutes ago; by now, he would have reached the field, and was undoubtedly facing Akamatsu at this very moment.

Had the thug woken up? That was the one thing that could cause a problem with this aspect of the plan - although he did have a fallback if that had happened. After all, when dealing with Hitokiri Battōsai, one could never be _too_ careful...

Sliding open the dojo gate, he saw that the noise was actually coming from Kamiya and Myōjin, who were busy yelling at and hitting each other. _And these are those you would name 'friend', Battōsai? So far, I am __not__ impressed. Sagara is a moron, and as for these two... Hardly the sort of behaviour one would expect from samurai._

"Pardon me," he said politely, causing the two youngsters to abruptly break off their fight and stare at him. He courteously removed his cap. "I've heard there's a Himura Battōsai at this dojo...?"

They both looked suddenly nervous, and Saitō hid an amused smile. _If only they knew..._ "I'm Lieutenant Fujita Gorō," he continued. "I've been recently assigned to this city, and I've heard of Himura-san from the chief."

As he'd expected, both of them relaxed as soon as he identified himself as a police officer - and hadn't reacted to his name, which meant that Sagara was still unconscious. Kamiya even gave an audible sigh of relief. "Yes, well," she started, "Kenshin's not at home at the moment..."

_No, he's currently in the middle of a fight I suspect you know nothing about._ "It's as yet unverified," Saitō said, making his tone sound concerned, "but we've had information that someone is after Himura-san's life." That obviously shocked them; more proof that Battōsai hadn't mentioned anything about him - much less what he knew of the attack on Sagara - to them. "I'm sorry," he continued, "but may I wait here a bit?"

"Um... Sure," Kamiya said a bit hesitantly. "He might be back late, but if you don't mind..."

"Not at all," Saitō assured her, stepping into the compound. She turned away, obviously leaving Myōjin to show him where to go.

"This way," the boy said, and led him into the dojo and over to a small shrine. The hole he'd sent Sagara through, Saitō noticed as he walked in, had not yet been repaired. "And his name is Himura _Kenshin_, _not_ 'Battōsai'," Myōjin added, as Saitō knelt down to wait.

"I see," he replied calmly, which served to give the boy the impression that he'd simply been briefed quickly, rather than thoroughly, by Chief Uramura.

Saitō knew from his spies and his own observations of this group that _they_ believed '_Himura Kenshin_' temporarily reverted to the hitokiri when faced with challenging battles, and then switched back afterward - and that they also believed those were the only times Himura was ever 'Battōsai'. That was the theory Ōkubo had been working from when this plan to recruit Battōsai was first conceived, so Saitō could hardly fault them for _those_ beliefs - particularly as observation had shown that Himura made no effort to discourage that impression. However, it was equally obvious from their behaviour concerning those incidents that they also believed the stories that portrayed 'Hitokiri Battōsai' as a bloodthirsty demon whose only love was killing, _despite_ what they'd seen with their own eyes.

Saitō sneered at that thought. The first time he'd heard one of those stories, he'd laughed so hard he'd ended up coughing as badly as Okita had the morning after the Ikeda-ya affair; and then had laughed even _harder_ when he'd realized the man telling the story was absolutely serious.

He _knew_ Battōsai, as few others did, and while the hitokiri _was_ a killer - that was undeniable, which was a large part of what irritated Saitō so much about the idea of being a peaceful rurouni who refused to kill - he was neither bloodthirsty, nor possessed of a love for killing. As with the rest of them - Ishin Shishi _and_ Shinsengumi - who had fought for what they truly believed in during the Bakumatsu, Battōsai had killed for a purpose, and had killed only those he felt he needed to.

Of course, not thirsting for blood or loving killing made Battōsai no less dangerous; rather, it made him _more_ so. Anyone who could survive as a hitokiri for over a year, when most were killed in three months or less, followed by more than three years of acting as a bodyguard for the Chōshū Ishin Shishi, all before he turned nineteen, was _far_ more dangerous than a madman who killed for the love of it.

No, Battōsai was a highly intelligent killer who had been the Shinsengumi's most cunning and challenging foe during the Bakumatsu; which was part of what had led Saitō to his current suspicions.

All that remained was to wait for Battōsai to return from dealing with Akamatsu, and then they would see.

_Yes, then we shall see indeed, Battōsai..._ Saitō thought, picking his sword up. He overheard the two women in the next room mention how reassuring his presence was as he drew his katana partway out of its sheath.

He smirked to himself. So trusting... He would have thought that Battōsai, and the actions of the Hiruma brothers and Takeda Kanryū, would have taught them better. _Not wise to leave them ignorant of the dangers that surround you, Battōsai. They're daggers at your throat, and can - as I have just proven - fall into your enemies' hands __so__ easily..._

* * *

"Plenty of people have reasons for killing," Kenshin said coolly, studying Akamatsu carefully, "but this one doesn't plan to die for something he has nothing to do with." What was this man's connection to Saitō? "Let's hear _your_ reason."

"Reason?" Akamatsu inquired. "You need a reason?" His _ki_ spiked again, telegraphing the fact that he was going to attack. "I'll tell you in detail - at your grave!" he added, launching his chain again.

Kenshin darted out of the way, moving in a swift blur around Akamatsu, knowing that the man wouldn't be able to follow his movement properly.

"Ha! I see you! You're to the left, Battōsai-" Akamatsu said - and then stopped, staring in shock and letting his chain fall slack, as he realized that Kenshin wasn't where he had thought.

"What you saw," Kenshin said calmly from behind him, "must have been the afterimage." His eyes narrowed further as he let his irritation rise, shifting colour from the faded violet of his mask to a cold blue. "It's been a while since this one was there." What _was_ Saitō playing at? He _had_ to know there was no way Akamatsu could even hope to take Kenshin...

"Wh-h-h-y... _you_!" Akamatsu shouted, jumping upwards and twisting around in midair, launching his chain again as he did so.

Kenshin was ordinarily quite patient - one had to be, as a hitokiri - but the whole situation with Saitō, Sanosuke, and now this buffoon had pushed the bounds of that patience too far. He was tired of it; he wanted answers, and he wanted them _now_. Rapidly unsheathing his sakabatō, he dodged to one side, and brought his sword back down into the sheath right _through_ the chain, breaking it - and then lunged at Akamatsu before he landed, aiming his sheath for the other man's chest. The force of his blow sent Akamatsu tumbling onto his back, out of breath; and then as he tried to recover, Kenshin picked up the broken chain scythe and waited.

Akamatsu managed to turn around and get up to a crouch, fists clenched, ready to move again.

"Enough," Kenshin said coldly, glaring at him. "You've no chance of winning."

Akamatsu's eyes widened in shock at the sight of him holding the chain scythe by the blade.

"Who are you?" Kenshin repeated, tossing the scythe to one side. "What connection do you have to Saitō?" His eyes narrowed as he glared down at Akamatsu, and he let his irritation flare further, along with the anger he felt over the attack on Sanosuke, turning them to amber. _I'm going to get the answers - even if I have to hurt you to do so._ He let that thought slip into his expression, and watched as Akamatsu began to sweat under the strain...

...And then start to break.

"I'm sorry! I was wrong!" Akamatsu blurted out, falling into a low bow. "Forgive me! I didn't want to do it! But Saitō threatened me... I _had_ to...!"

Or perhaps not. Clearly Akamatsu was stronger willed than Kenshin had thought, to be able to lie to Battōsai's face - and Akamatsu _was_ lying, his _ki_ was blatantly projecting that fact... Yes, he had a tremendous strength of will.

Obviously, if Kenshin wanted to get any information from him - which he most definitely did - he was going to have to trick him.

His decision made, Kenshin turned away, his attitude having a touch of carelessness to it, as though he truly thought Akamatsu _had_ broken. "Nothing you say can be believed," he remarked, his tone still cold. He wasn't about to let Akamatsu think he had been _entirely_ fooled - it was unlikely the other man would believe _that_ of Battōsai. "Learn from this - get another career."

"Y-yes," Akamatsu stuttered.

Kenshin wondered how he would attack next. _He favours chains..._ he thought, _so perhaps-_

Akamatsu's _ki_ spiked a third time. "Right after I _kill_ you!"

_Concealed chains!_

It was hard to stay where he was, letting the chains come to him; but his shishō - not to mention his time in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu - had trained him quite thoroughly, and sometimes it _was_ better to let an attack happen, in order to deceive, as long as one could minimize the damage. Kenshin clenched his right hand and raised it to the level of his neck, preventing one of the chains from strangling him and giving him a potential weapon of his own, and moved his sheath so that the other one chained it to his left hand. It was a position that _appeared_ to place him at a serious disadvantage... but only appeared to. Saitō would no doubt have known better than to believe him neutralized; but then, Saitō had not only fought him numerous times, but was both intelligent and _ki_-sensitive. Akamatsu was stubborn - but an idiot who clearly had no ability to sense _ki_ at all.

"Heh," Akamatsu chuckled - thus proving Kenshin was correct. "Good move to keep yourself from being strangled, but what now? Both your arms are useless. Plus," he continued, pulling the chains back, "you can't move!" He gave a sharp jerk that flung Kenshin into the air, and down again.

_Yes, Saitō would very definitely have known better,_ Kenshin thought, as he let his body go limp before he hit the ground. Of course, the Captain of the Third Shinsengumi Unit had seen him fight quite often and was well aware that _Ryū Tsui Sen_ was one of his favourite attacks; and one could not use that particular attack properly without first learning how to fall, and how to land.

He hit the ground hard - hard enough that he would have bruises for a day or two, but no other damage - and groaned, as though in serious pain, before closing his eyes. He could feel Akamatsu walking toward him.

"I may be slower than you," the other man said, a definite note of triumph in both his voice and his _ki_, "but I'm more powerful!"

_Fool,_ Kenshin thought coldly, but didn't move except for breathing.

He wasn't terribly surprised when Akamatsu proceeded to fling him into the air a second time; he simply stayed limp and didn't make another sound. He collected a few more potential bruises from the second landing - but again, no more than that.

"_Huh._ Finally finished," Akamatsu muttered, approaching him again. "Six times... he was tough." He paused for a moment, and Kenshin could feel his eyes studying him. "You're not in your grave yet, but I'll tell you. Saitō and I were hired by Jin-e's corps of assassins."

According to Akamatsu's _ki_, he honestly thought he was telling the truth this time.

Kenshin still didn't believe a word of it, however.

Admittedly, ten years _was_ long enough for a man to change, possibly quite drastically, and what he'd done to Sanosuke would suggest that Saitō _had_ undergone such a change; but a nagging sense of having missed something - some hint he'd already seen but not taken into account - told Kenshin otherwise. Whatever it was Saitō was doing, it did not include becoming a paid assassin.

Not that Saitō had any moral compunctions about killing those he considered to be corrupt...

Once again, Kenshin was very glad for the lessons he'd had in hiding his emotions as a sudden realization dawned - it wouldn't do for Akamatsu to realize he was still conscious too soon.

_Ishida medicine. Because it was Hijikata's family who sold it, it was often used by Shinsengumi spies in disguise - and Saitō was Hijikata's best agent. He was the one Hijikata and Kondō planted in Itō's group of deserters..._

Kenshin had already come to the conclusion that Saitō had to be working for the Meiji government; and now he had a fairly good idea as to what job they'd given him. He was an agent, a spy - and considering that Chief Uramura had undoubtedly passed on what Kenshin had told him of Jin-e's words about having been hired, was most likely working on ferreting out who had been the one who hired Jin-e.

It still failed to explain to Kenshin how _he_ was involved in all this, however. Yes, he had taken care of Jin-e - but why had Akamatsu been ordered to kill him, and what did Saitō's attack on Sanosuke have to do with it?

"Why you?" Akamatsu continued, almost as though Kenshin had asked his question out loud. "Who knows. My guess is the politicians learned you were still out here after the Kurogasa incident, and they've hired us to keep their nasty deeds from being revealed."

That was... a definite possibility, Kenshin had to admit - at least for Akamatsu's role. It was one of the reasons he had continued to maintain the pose of the rurouni who refused to kill all these years - even after he'd come to the conclusion that there _were_ sometimes occasions where in order to protect, it _was_ necessary to kill - especially in the months since Katsura-san's death. Simply because of who he'd been and what he'd done for the Ishin Shishi, both before and after Ikeda-ya, he had a great deal of information on the deeds - and misdeeds - of those presently in power.

That still did not answer the question about Saitō's involvement, or why he'd attacked Sano - but Akamatsu wouldn't know those answers; and bringing them up would only serve to endanger both Saitō and whatever it was he _was_ doing.

"Every politician has his secrets, after all," Akamatsu finished, and his _ki_ flickered with the preparation to kill.

Kenshin opened his eyes. "Ah... Saitō Hajime is an assassin like Udō Jin-e..." he murmured, as though he had just experienced a revelation. For the present, he would back Saitō's play with respect to this group of assassins, though he reserved the right to change his mind depending on what Saitō's ultimate goal was.

He heard Akamatsu gasp in shock as he sat up and turned his hand to grip the chain that was hanging around his neck. "It's rumoured that Saitō often turned his sword against other Shinsengumi, to keep them in line," he continued calmly. _Those_ rumours, he knew, were quite true. "So that's it..."

Akamatsu's _ki_ flared with a combination of fury and fear. "They were all... defensive falls!" he muttered in sudden realization.

"So even now, in Meiji, he still plays at being an assassin," Kenshin finished, as the fear he felt from the assassin's _ki_ transmuted itself to determination and the intent to attack again.

"Then I'll just slam you into a rock and kill you for sure!" Akamatsu shouted, and jerked on the chains.

This time, however, Kenshin was gripping them. As Akamatsu flung him toward one of the rock outcroppings, Kenshin twisted in midair and absorbed the impact with his feet, placing himself in a perfect position to lunge back at the assassin - particularly as his twist had placed Akamatsu's arms into a position where _he_ couldn't move. Then, the amber colour making his eyes appear to glow in the sunlight, Kenshin loosened his sakabatō from its sheath. This time, he _would_ break Akamatsu...


	5. C1P4: Face to Face

Author's Note #1: This part has been the hardest to write so far (and I'm up to Chp. 4, Pt. 2!). _All_ dialogue in this part is taken from Acts 51-53 of the manga, with only a slight change to one sentence that is more grammatical than anything else, although the thoughts that accompany that dialogue are very different. That's the main reason for the difficulty with this part - I wanted to keep the dialogue and actions, but still make them fit in with the concept behind _Edge of the Blade_.

Author's Note #2: Because one of my reviewers raised the issue... The reason I started this story back with the fights with Jin-e and Raijūta, and had all the details about the Saitō arc, is to establish the changes in Kenshin's character, most of which had to be already done before the Saitō/Kenshin duel.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C1P1 (second page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing...

* * *

**Chapter 1: Saitō Hajime - Mibu's Wolf**

_Part 4: Face-to-Face_

The sun was starting to set as Kenshin walked down the street leading to the Kamiya dojo. He had used the hour or so it had taken to walk from the site of his battle against Akamatsu to push the emotions stirred by the confrontation back down far enough to let him slip into the role of the rurouni again. Kaoru, Yahiko, and Megumi were already worried enough about both himself and Sanosuke; he had no desire to add to their concerns. He hadn't bothered to speculate any further on Saitō's actions or motivations - Akamatsu's knowledge had been limited to what Saitō had let him see, and added nothing to what Kenshin already knew or had guessed save the identity of the man who had hired them for the assassinations.

As he got closer to the dojo's gate, Kenshin was surprised to see Kaoru waiting just outside on the street with a lantern. As she saw him and called his name, he quickly hid his hands - both of which bore the marks of Akamatsu's concealed chains - in his sleeves.

"Kaoru-dono," he said calmly, still determined not to worry her. He had taken care of Akamatsu, and knew who hired him; if there were any more threats from that quarter, he should be able to deal with them without involving his friends.

All the same, she _did_ look more worried than she had before he'd left... "Is something wrong?"

"I was worried about you," Kaoru replied, giving him a hesitant smile.

_I can see that - but __why__? All I told Yahiko was that I had an errand..._

"Your life's in danger," she continued, sliding the gate open. "We shouldn't go out for a while."

Kenshin came to an abrupt stop just outside the gate. _What? How could she-_ "Where did you hear that, Kaoru-dono?" he asked, keeping his voice even. _Who could possibly have told her about that?_

"From the police," Kaoru explained, waiting impatiently for him to enter. She slid the gate shut behind them as soon as he did so. "The chief has sent us one of his men."

_One of Chief Uramura's men? But how could he know?_ Kenshin wondered, puzzled - and beginning to worry. _Would Saitō have reported the assassination job to him? I would have thought not - it's very unlikely that Uramura is the one Saitō reports to, and in any case, it's far more his way to inform only those people he believes __need__ to know..._

He found himself tensing as they neared the dojo. There was something just teasing at the edge of his senses... Something he hadn't felt - at least, not consciously - in a very long time... Something that whispered of danger.

"He's a swordsman," Kaoru continued, sliding open the dojo's door. "Lieutenant Fujita Gorō."

The clouded _ki_ he was sensing suddenly flared bright and familiar - _very_ familiar - for just a moment before being shielded again, and Kenshin's eyes widened as he stared at the man kneeling in front of the dojo's shrine, with Yahiko standing just next to him. _I didn't expect this... What is he doing __here__?_

"Well, it seems you had some trouble with Akamatsu." Saitō turned his head to look at them, his expression cool. His voice was rich with a subtle, biting irony as he continued, "You're not what you were, are you."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed - though he still kept his emotions behind their barriers, not letting their current violet colour be overwhelmed by blue just yet - and his hands clenched into fists as he studied Saitō carefully, putting together the fact of his presence here and now with the clues he'd managed to accumulate thus far. Added to his words, and that tone of voice...

Saitō got to his feet with an ease that told him the Shinsengumi captain was still as dangerous as he had ever been. "The last time we fought was on the battlegrounds of Toba Fushimi. So... that makes it about ten years."

"Kenshin, do you _know_ Fujita-san?" Kaoru asked from beside him, surprise clear in both her voice and her _ki_.

Kenshin didn't look at her as he answered, preferring to keep his eyes on Saitō. He had the feeling he was beginning to understand why Sanosuke had been attacked the way he had, and if he was right, the situation was going to deteriorate very quickly - and very deliberately. "'Fujita Gorō'. The new name, hm?" Kaoru's surprise mingled with confusion, and he added in explanation, "Leader of the Third Shinsengumi Unit... Saitō Hajime."

Both Kaoru and Yahiko were shocked at the sudden revelation, but Kenshin ignored their surprised exclamations, keeping his focus on Saitō. _There are only three questions left: what is he going to do to provoke me; what will I do in response; and, most important, __why__ does he want - or need? - Battōsai?_

* * *

"Ten years," Saitō continued evenly, studying Himura carefully as he did so. This was the first time they had actually come face-to-face since Toba Fushimi (not to mention the first time truly during daylight) - he'd been very careful to avoid that since he'd arrived in Tokyo - and he found himself not entirely certain what to make of the man in front of him.

The cross-shaped scar was familiar - though it had faded slightly over time - as were the short height, the slight build, and the deceptively youthful features. The red hair he was used to seeing up in a topknot was now tied at the base of Himura's neck, and hung both looser and longer than it had in Kyoto. But it was Himura's posture, and his eyes, that showed the greatest change.

Battōsai had stood and moved with the poised tension of a hunting cat; Himura still had a cat's grace, but his movements and posture were more relaxed, almost - though not quite - languid. Battōsai's amber eyes had glowed in the shadows and darkness of the night, adding fuel to the beliefs he was a demon; Himura's eyes were a mild, dim violet that reflected gentleness and innocent sorrow...

...And that hid secrets in their depths.

"When said, it's only two words. But to live it is a quite a while," Saitō finished, satisfied. He'd been right. Himura's eyes might have changed colour; but they were still the eyes of Hitokiri Battōsai - Saitō recognized the steely determination and the knowledge of necessity he saw buried under the appearance of innocence.

"...Yes," Battōsai replied simply. He returned Saitō's gaze and narrowed his eyes. "It seems long enough to make a man rot."

Saitō waited. Battōsai clearly had a point to make, and he preferred to find out what it was before responding.

"Udō Jin-e was crazy to begin with... but that wasn't you," the hitokiri continued, his eyes still a narrowed violet. "There were twists to you that couldn't be fathomed; but in battle you were honourable and came straight at your opponent.

"Hurting your enemy by hurting his friend. Using another warrior as bait. Taking hostages. You never used tricks like these. The Saitō Hajime of the past... _he_ was a man."

He started chuckling, and then threw back his head and laughed in genuine amusement at the outrage in Battōsai's voice. _Upset about the damage I did to Sagara, are you, Battōsai? Have you figured out my reasons yet?_

"What are you _laughing_ at?" the Myōjin boy demanded angrily.

Saitō smirked. "After words such as those, how could I _not_ laugh, boy?" he replied, stepping forward. His smirk widened at the hint of wariness that escaped Battōsai's control of his _ki_. _You have an idea of what's coming, don't you. I do believe I'm going to enjoy this..._ "I figured his _sword_ had gone dull... but I never expected that his _head_ had!"

The Kamiya girl looked outraged, and started to object, but Saitō ignored her. "Akamatsu - as 'bait'?" he continued, letting his contempt for the assassin flavour his voice. "Don't be stupid. A _worm_ would have made better bait."

Agreement flickered in Battōsai's eyes and _ki_, merely confirming what Saitō already knew. Whatever his reasons for starting it - and Saitō suspected it was most likely for protection from those he'd served during the Bakumatsu - the 'peaceful rurouni' was only an act that served to hide the hitokiri. So... to let Battōsai know that he knew...

"We, the Shinsengumi, who fought the Hitokiri Battōsai... _we_ know his strength more than others."

_Now, time for you to drop the act, Battōsai._ "But to know that you struggled against Akamatsu... This _rurouni refusal_ to kill... clearly, it's made you _weak_."

Battōsai's eyes narrowed again, a hint of blue shading the violet darker; no doubt he recognized Saitō's intentions, if not his motives. "Saitō, think whatever you wish," the hitokiri replied. "It's enough to have a rurouni's strength to protect those who require it. A hitokiri's strength to kill _isn't_ needed."

Saitō frowned slightly at that statement. "'A rurouni's strength', eh?" he questioned, undoing the collar of his uniform jacket. "If _that's_ so, you're a failure, even _as_ a rurouni."

Battōsai looked startled by that, although Saitō couldn't tell whether or not that reaction was an act. His _ki_ was completely shielded again.

_Either way, it's too late for you to continue playing the role - the fact is that we need the hitokiri, and that's what you're going to have to give us, Battōsai. If you don't drop the act willingly, I'll simply have to force it._ "While you were falling into my trap and struggling against Akamatsu, I was here the whole time." Not that Saitō thought it had taken Battōsai that long to defeat the buffoon - he suspected there had been some questions the hitokiri had wanted answers to. Nonetheless, the fact remained that Battōsai had been gone for over four hours, which meant his confrontation with Akamatsu had taken about two hours - quite a long interrogation of someone who knew so little. "Because I am a policeman, these people didn't suspect a thing. So, if I'd _wanted_ to kill them, I could have done it at any time."

Battōsai's eyes flared cold blue and Saitō sensed a touch of anger from his _ki_ for just a moment, before both faded again.

"This isn't the first time, either," he continued. "The incident with Jin-e, the other with Kanryū... You've had those you would 'protect' - that's your word - taken by the enemy. And you've let _scum_ like Raijūta cause a wound that will last a lifetime." Saitō felt a touch of his own anger coming through in the last words, and forced it back under control. Now was not the time for that - he had to concentrate on Battōsai's reactions. "Unused strength is the same as _none_. Your hypocrisy only fills my belly with disgust."

"Shut up!" Myōjin shouted, his _ki_ burning with fury. He was starting to become an irritation, Saitō reflected, and wondered how Battōsai managed to tolerate the sort of conflicts he'd walked in on between the boy and Kamiya. Among the upper echelons of those who had been Ishin Shishi, the hitokiri had held a reputation for not tolerating fools gladly. Then again... he'd been _acting_ the fool for the last ten years; perhaps his tolerance for such had increased. "Nobody died any of those times because Kenshin _was_ there!"

"But what guarantee it will stay that way?" Saitō countered, calm again. He gave Battōsai a pointed look. "I thought Battōsai would _see_ this, so I sent Akamatsu. But, as you put it, ten years is long enough to make a man rot." _Do you know what I see when I look at your rurouni act, Battōsai? Let me tell you..._ "Drowning in self-satisfaction and phony righteousness... How can Hitokiri Battōsai protect people without killing?"

Well, he appeared to be succeeding in at least part of his goal - Battōsai was _definitely_ getting angry. Now, to hopefully make his point.

"_Aku. Soku. Zan._ 'Swift Death to Evil.' That was the code of justice common to both the Shinsengumi _and_ to the Hitokiri." His eyes narrowed. "I can't stand seeing you like this - not any more." _As I said - it's time to drop the act of the rurouni._

Battōsai met his gaze calmly, and the shield he held around his _ki_ went down long enough for Saitō to sense his understanding - and his resistance. "No matter _what_ you say," the hitokiri stated, the emphasis very deliberate, "this one _refuses_ to take more life."

_So, you want to know what's going on, do you? Not until everyone in this room sees the hitokiri, Battōsai. I have no desire to speak to the 'rurouni' any longer._ "Is that so?" he demanded - and sank into the stance for _Gatotsu_. "Then come." _Show us the __truth__, Battōsai. Push the mask you wear for these fools away._ "I will deny everything that you are."

* * *

Kenshin glared as Saitō's eyes narrowed, the golden gleam recalling the alleys of Kyoto. _Why are you __doing__ this, Saitō?_ he demanded silently, knowing the Shinsengumi could read him well enough to understand the question. _You have a reason for all this - what __is__ it?_

"What's wrong?" Saitō continued, dark amusement rising in his eyes - the same amusement Kenshin had seen when he had begun his taunts. "Will you just stand there, and let the girl be caught in the _Gatotsu_?"

Kenshin frowned, feeling his irritation rise and turn his eyes blue again, and started to step forward - only to stop as a hand tugged at his _gi_. Forcing the irritation back down with an effort and deliberately widening his eyes, he turned to see Kaoru, her head bowed, her hands gripping his sleeve, obviously frightened.

"Kaoru-dono," he started - and couldn't continue. Not out loud. Not when both she and Yahiko were so thoroughly convinced that the act of the rurouni he showed them was the truth of who he was.

_My own fault, I know - but it's always been too dangerous for anyone to know the real truth. Terribly ironic to be caught in my own trap like this - and Saitō knows it._ The Shinsengumi was making no effort whatsoever to hide his amusement at the situation. _I'm sorry, Kaoru, but I have to do this; Saitō isn't going to tell me anything else unless we fight._

_Not to mention the fact that I still owe him for what he did to Sano..._

Kaoru looked up at him. "It will be fine," she said, a bit hesitantly. "Right?"

Kenshin hid his wince. He doubted that he and Saitō would actually kill each other - Saitō needed him for some reason, and as angry as he was about what had happened to Sano, it wasn't bad enough for him to kill over it - but Kaoru wasn't just referring to the possibility of death. And he didn't want to lie to her any more than he had already been forced to.

He carefully removed her hand from his sleeve. "Either way, it's life he's after," Kenshin replied, not specifying exactly what he meant by 'life'. His next words, at least, were entirely true, with no hidden meanings. "The fight cannot be avoided."

"Still... either way..." Kaoru still sounded nervous.

Kenshin gave her a reassuring look, then walked a quarter of the way around the dojo, until he was standing in front of the list of names, and met Saitō's eyes.

"Come," the Shinsengumi invited him, a thin smile crossing his face.

Kenshin let his irritation and anger rise, knowing it turned his eyes cold blue, as he countered, "Aren't _you_ the challenger?"

"Huh..." Saitō resumed his stance. "Fair enough." His eyes tightened slightly, his muscles tensed... and he _lunged_. "_I'll begin!_"

Kenshin was already in the air, drawing his sword, as Saitō's attack hit the dojo wall, putting another hole in it.

"Do you think you can dodge it like that, Battōsai?" Saitō demanded, his sword stabbing upward.

Kenshin's eyes widened in shock. _The 'void' __Gatotsu__!_ he recognized, as he twisted and brought his sakabatō down in a frantic attempt to deflect the blow - too late. He'd avoided the full force of the attack, but he still felt Saitō's sword bite into his chest.

He heard both Kaoru and Yahiko call his name, but he couldn't afford to look over at them. _Have to remember... I've spent the last ten years trying to __avoid__ killing. Saitō obviously hasn't... I need to take that... into account._

"You turned your waist to avoid the point," Saitō declared, his tone oddly analytical. "A quicker reaction than expected. Still..."

Kenshin's eyes widened again as he sensed a flicker of Saitō's intent through his _ki_.

"_...Not good enough!_" Saitō jerked his sword out of the wound, and used the momentum to push himself backward, raising his foot to kick Kenshin in the chin. The force of the blow flung Kenshin into the wall.

"When you dodge the thrust, I bend instantly into a slash!" Saitō continued. "In the _Hirazuki_ developed by the tactical master of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizō, there _is_ no blind spot!"

He was still speaking in that analytical tone, Kenshin realized - _Why?_ - as he tried to recover from the impact. _I took some damage from the fight with Akamatsu; damage I __let__ him inflict. It definitely isn't helping._

"As for the _Gatotsu_... it's deadlier still." And Saitō lunged again.

Kenshin met the lunge with one of his own, using his sakabatō to intercept Saitō's thrust; but Saitō once again turned the move into a slash, and the impact sent Kenshin crashing back into the wall.

"_Useless effort!_" Saitō snarled, sounding almost like one of the wolves the Shinsengumi had been called after in Kyoto. "The skills that enabled me to survive countless duels, from the Bakumatsu to the Meiji, are no longer even _known_ today."

_That... hurt,_ Kenshin thought grimly, trying to catch his breath. _I'm obviously... still... out of practice. Saitō's not using... his full power - and he's tossing me around... all too easily. Shishō would be... embarrassed. Really... have to remember... this is __not__ Raijūta, or even Jin-e... this is __Saitō Hajime__, Shinsengumi and Miburō..._

He could sense Kaoru approaching, could feel Yahiko's worry, could - more faintly - sense Sanosuke's awareness returning; and knew that he was going to have to end the act now and worry about the consequences to his friendships later. Saitō was still holding back; he wasn't going to be able to defeat him while still maintaining the role of the rurouni. _And Saitō knows it. Damn him to the Buddhists' hell!_

"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed, as she reached him. "Ken-" She stopped abruptly, and Kenshin knew that she was seeing the hints of amber in his eyes as he focused his attention completely on the fight. Much as he hated doing so, he was going to have to treat his friends as though they were simply innocent bystanders, and ignore them.

"Move, little girl," Saitō said from behind Kaoru, and Kenshin saw her stiffen, then turn and move between them.

"Get out of the way."

Saitō's voice was flat. He wouldn't kill her. Not for this. But he was willing to hurt her if she continued to interfere, Kenshin knew.

He stood back up, pushing Kaoru out of the way as he kept his gaze fixed on Saitō, eyes narrow and amber-flecked.

"Let's go..."

They stared at each other for a long moment... but this time, Kenshin was the first to move.

He sensed a flicker of surprise from Saitō at his speed, but the Shinsengumi recovered quickly, lunging forward again - only Kenshin had already ducked down.

This time, it was Saitō's knee that hit him.

_I've had... just about __enough__ of this._ Kenshin stood back up, his breathing harsh as he forced himself to control the pain. _You injured Sanosuke, then lured me out of here so you could present me with a threat to the others when I returned; you've refused to tell me __why__; and now you're toying with me, trying to 'release Battōsai' - in front of my friends._

_I __really__ don't like being played with._

_All right, Saitō, you're about to get what you wanted. I hope you're ready for it._

Drawing on his reserves of energy and pushing the pain away - back behind the barriers that held his strongest emotions when he played the role of the rurouni - as he let his battle-rage rise, Kenshin calmed his breathing, stood up straight, and raised his head.

Both Saitō and Kaoru's eyes widened, recognizing the amber glow of his eyes. Kenshin ignored Kaoru's fear - much as he hated the necessity of it - and concentrated on the slight flickers of anticipation he could sense from Saitō.

The Shinsengumi smiled, and took a variation of his _Gatotsu_ stance.

"This is the true _Gatotsu_!" he declared. "There will be no holding back!"

_And none on my part either, Saitō - not now. Foolish of you to do it this way, however; you've just finished attacking with __Gatotsu__ - __three__ times. Don't you think I've figured it out by now?_

Once again, Saitō lunged.

Kenshin stood still, waiting, judging... and then just before Saitō's sword reached him, he turned to one side. But rather than waiting for the side slash, he continued to turn, using the force the spin built up to propel the blade of his sakabatō against Saitō's shoulders.

This time, it was _Saitō's_ turn to go through the wall.

The blow hadn't killed him, Kenshin knew - just injured him enough to make them more equal. If Saitō wanted a real fight... well, he was now going to get one.

He walked forward, stopping just in front of the hole. "However strong _Gatotsu_ may be, when it's shown four times in a few minutes, any idiot can come up with a few ways to counter it.

"Get up, Saitō," he continued curtly. "A ten-year duel can't end this quietly."

Saitō chuckled as he pushed himself up and stepped back through the hole. "My orders are to evaluate your strength," he commented casually.

_So __that__ was why he sounded so analytical..._

"But I don't care about them now. I will now kill you."

_And __how__ many times does this make it? You've threatened me with that so often, I've lost count._ "Quit posing," Kenshin returned coldly. _You want a real duel, Saitō? Fine. You've got it._ "You know _I'm_ the one who will kill _you_."

* * *

Coming Next Month: **Chapter 2: Ōkubo Toshimichi - May 14th, 11th Year of Meiji**


	6. C2P1: Challenges

Author's Note #1: A lot of the dialogue in this chapter was taken from Acts 54-57 of the _Rurouni Kenshin_ manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san, some of it modified slightly by bits from the anime, some of it modified by the requirements of the story.

Author's Note #2: Regarding honorifics... In the anime (the subtitled version), Ōkubo is frequently referred to as Ōkubo-kyo. The subtitles translate that as "Lord Ōkubo", but according to a bit of research done by the ever-esteemed Vathara, a closer translation would be "sir", as in the title given to English knights. In keeping with my habit of using the honorifics, I've used "-kyo" in this story rather than "Lord".

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing. Thanks also go to Merula, whose questions about Kenshin staying at the dojo made this chapter better...  
Minor edit: Thurs. May 18/06.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ōkubo Toshimichi - May 14th, 11th Year of Meiji**

_Part 1: Challenges_

Saitō felt his senses sharpen as the thrill of the challenge he was facing raced through him. He ignored the blood he could feel dripping down his face from the cut on his forehead, focusing his attention on Battōsai. The mask the hitokiri had worn was gone at last, discarded - as it should be - and Saitō could see his own anticipation reflected back at him from the gleaming amber eyes. Whatever the outcome of this duel - and despite their words, Saitō doubted it _would_ be death - they were both going to enjoy this challenge to the fullest. It had _definitely_ been too long.

Battōsai re-sheathed his sword and crouched in the familiar _battō-jutsu_ stance, and Saitō grinned darkly, baring his teeth, as he started his lunge. _Now, let's see what you have, Battōsai!_

There was a keening sound as their blades struck each other, and as Saitō slid to a stop, he felt the weight of his sword shift. Looking at it, he was surprised to see the point of the blade had been sliced off - which explained the noise. But Battōsai had struck it with the _back_ of his blade...

"Next, I'll make your head fly," Battōsai promised, in the cold, quiet tones he'd last heard in Kyoto more than ten years ago.

Glancing over his shoulder to meet Battōsai's eyes, Saitō got his first _good_ look at the hitokiri's blade, and blinked. "A sakabatō...?" _That's right, Yamagata's report mentioned it... But why would-?_

The answer came to him as he turned to face Battōsai again. _Ah, yes - his act of the rurouni who __refuses__ to kill._ It was quite the clever idea, Saitō had to admit, fingering his belt thoughtfully. _If he still kept an ordinary katana, he would have had to re-train himself not to deliver killing blows - otherwise it would be too likely he would strike to kill by instinct; re-training which, aside from being a long process, would most likely have rapidly proved to be fatal. With a sakabatō, even blows that would normally kill __won't__, as long as he judges his strength carefully; but if he needs to, he can still use it to kill._

As they eyed each other, waiting for the right time to make the next attack, Saitō felt Sagara's _ki_ approaching. _So, the thug's woken up __now__, has he?_ he thought, not taking his eyes or his attention off Battōsai. _Interesting timing..._

Battōsai showed no surprise as they heard Sagara's voice - but then, Saitō had known for a long time that the hitokiri was more sensitive to _ki_ than any other swordsman he'd met, and had undoubtedly sensed Sagara's approach before he had. He _did_ notice Battōsai's minute flinch at his friend's words, however, and took the opportunity to attack again.

The Myōjin boy's shocked comment about using _Gatotsu_ again despite the damage to his sword rang loudly in the quiet of the dojo as Saitō started his lunge. Battōsai sneered. "The Shinsengumi never did know when to withdraw."

"The first rule of the Shinsengumi: 'Act in a manner befitting a samurai'!" Saitō snarled in return. "Fleeing an enemy proves your lack of determination!" He struck, throwing the remains of his blade and moving his right hand to the buckle of his belt, ready.

As he expected, Battōsai intercepted the broken blade with his left arm, forcing it out of the way. "You choose your pride as Shinsengumi over your life," the hitokiri said coolly, as Saitō unfastened his buckle in preparation for the next move. "Works for me."

Battōsai thrust his sword forward - and Saitō lashed out with his belt, hitting Battōsai's sword hand with the buckle, causing him to lose his grip on the sakabatō.

"I _have_ you!" Saitō snarled triumphantly, following up with a flurry of punches that stunned Battōsai long enough for him to get his jacket off and wrapped around the hitokiri's throat. "This," he continued, lifting Battōsai off the ground, "is the end!"

Battōsai raised one arm as he struggled, trying to loosen the jacket with the other.

"It's useless," Saitō snapped, tightening the jacket slightly. Despite what the moron and the boy thought, it _wasn't_ tight enough to break Battōsai's neck - or even suffocate him. It was definitely going to leave bruises, and if Battōsai didn't surrender soon, it would temporarily damage his voice - but it wouldn't kill him. They _did_ need him to face Shishio, after all. "Accept your fate!" _You've __lost__, Battōsai! At last-_

He caught sight of a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye - Battōsai's arm...

...And felt a flicker of shock, mingled with the same reluctant admiration he'd always felt when dealing with the hitokiri, as Battōsai seized his sheath. _This is going to hurt..._

It did; but just as he hadn't tightened his jacket enough to actually kill Battōsai, the hitokiri had obviously judged his blow carefully to avoid either crushing Saitō's throat or breaking his jaw.

They faced each other, both breathing harshly as they came to a silent, mutual agreement to rest for a moment before continuing. And as Saitō met his opponent's eyes, he knew he hadn't been wrong; Battōsai was finding this duel as exhilarating as he was. Although they did have reasons to be angry with each other - Battōsai more than himself, Saitō admitted, since he _did_ seem to count the moron as a friend - it was clear to him that they were also both enjoying the chance for a _real_ challenge.

"It this what the Bakumatsu was like?" Sagara's voice broke the silence in the dojo, and Saitō felt another moment of vaguely amused accord with Battōsai. This was _nothing_ like the Bakumatsu: then, they had both been _truly_ fighting each other to the death, and their duels tended to last _just_ long enough for whatever group of Ishin Shishi Battōsai was protecting that night to get to safety before Battōsai would disappear. Definitely not something that was happening now.

They were both getting their breath back, Saitō noticed, and he clasped his hands together, cracking his knuckles, and gave Battōsai a dark grin. "Shall we... finish this soon?"

Battōsai raised his sheath, eyes glittering as he responded, "...Why not?"

They lunged at each other as one, and were almost within range of each other when a voice yelled from the door of the dojo, "_Stop this!_"

Recognizing the voice as Kawaji's, Saitō reluctantly came to a halt; and Battōsai, no doubt seeing the recognition in his eyes, followed suit as they both turned to face the man standing in the doorway.

"Snap out of it, Saitō!" Kawaji continued, to Saitō's irritation. Not only was he _not_ lost in his memories, the way Battōsai's so-called friends - and obviously Kawaji - seemed to think, but things had just been truly getting interesting. Kawaji's timing left a great deal to be desired, as did Ōkubo's - Kawaji would have never dared interfere with this particular duel unless Ōkubo was there ready to back him up. "Your mission was to evaluate Battōsai's strength!" 'Not _kill_ him,' was the clear, though unspoken, part of the message.

That had piqued Battōsai's interest, and Saitō scowled. It was obvious that they weren't going to be allowed to finish their duel... but he was going to protest anyway. "This is what I have lived for," he said coldly, the words aimed at both Kawaji and Battōsai. _It was going so well, was it not, Battōsai? Though I have no doubt you will at least be pleased to have your questions answered..._ "I cannot allow even the Superintendent-General to interfere."

Ōkubo knew how to take a cue. "I know very well of your pride as Shinsengumi," came the voice of the Chief of Internal Affairs, as he walked in the door Kawaji had opened. "But I don't want you or Himura wasting your lives here."

The statement reminded Saitō that he hadn't mentioned his personal suspicions about Battōsai to Ōkubo, even as he sensed surprise from most of Battōsai's friends, and flickers of understanding and a sense of suspicion confirmed from Battōsai's still-guarded _ki_. Which raised the question - should he reveal Battōsai's act?

"...I see," Battōsai was saying, his own tone cold. "So _you_ are the man behind Saitō Hajime. Former warrior of Satsuma Province, now Chief of Internal Affairs for the Meiji government, Ōkubo Toshimichi."

As an introduction to Battōsai's friends, it lacked something, Saitō thought in amusement as the Myōjin boy complained in frustration at his lack of knowledge.

"I'm sorry to resort to such crude methods," Ōkubo said, focused on Battōsai, "but we had to know the extent of your abilities. Will you talk with me?"

Battōsai was still irritated, Saitō noticed; or, at least, continued to be willing to reveal his irritation, his eyes glittering now with anger as opposed to the anticipation that had been there only moments ago, during the last part of their battle. "Sure," the hitokiri replied. _Yes, definitely still irritated._ "I'd like nothing better."

There was a sudden prickle of fear and alarm that came from none of the people currently in the room. The flavour of the _ki_ was familiar - Akamatsu. A glance at Battōsai informed him that the hitokiri had also noticed the spike of _ki_. Well, it appeared he was going to have to deal with Shibumi earlier than he had intended...

Saitō crouched down and picked up his jacket and sword. "Hmph," he snorted as he stood back up. "The best duel I've had in years, and suddenly it's a conversation." He let his eyes flick to Battōsai again. _All right, Battōsai - I'll keep your secret... for the present._ "We'll have to wait for another opportunity."

"You're lucky," Battōsai said coolly, meeting his gaze, amber eyes gleaming.

Saitō gave him a wolfish grin. "_You_ are!"

"_Saitō!_" Kawaji snapped, as he drew near the door. "Mission report!"

"Himura _Kenshin_ is useless," Saitō said calmly. _There you go, Battōsai - your act is safe... for the moment. And you owe me now._ "But Himura _Battōsai_ may still have something to offer." With that, he walked out. He would have to hurry to be sure he reached Shibumi and Akamatsu before they managed to escape.

* * *

Kenshin watched Saitō walk out the door, feeling the energy that had sustained him during their duel start to fade, letting the pain from the damage Saitō had done to him come flooding back.

"That man," muttered the stranger with Ōkubo, the one Saitō had identified as the Superintendent-General, shaking his head. "He's the best spy in the police force, but I never know what that Mibu Wolf is _thinking_."

Kenshin could have told him - or, at least let him know what Saitō was _doing_ - but he wasn't in the mood to make it easy. He wasn't upset for the same reasons as Saitō - while he _had_, in fact, actually been enjoying their duel once he'd let loose, it wasn't to the extent that he was disappointed it had been stopped; rather, it was obvious that this man was as involved in what Saitō had been doing as Ōkubo was.

"I have a carriage waiting outside," the latter said then, drawing Kenshin's attention back to him. "Come with us."

_Without knowing __why__ all this has happened?_ Kenshin trusted Ōkubo as much as he had trusted Katsura - the man was fundamentally honest, and the fact that Saitō was willing to work for him was quite telling, but... "Not a chance," he declared firmly. _Not after your orders got Sano hurt, and Kaoru and Yahiko terrified. You owe them as much of an explanation as you do me._ "I'm not alone in this," he added pointedly, as he sensed the others moving to stand behind him; and then winced, as he felt their continuing concern, and realized he was still without his rurouni mask. _I really, truly hate this..._

Taking a deep breath, Kenshin focused on getting the emotions caused by the fight with Saitō back behind their barriers. _Perhaps... I enjoyed it more than I'm willing to admit,_ he reflected ruefully, finding it more difficult than he expected. _There was... almost a freedom in fighting full out against Saitō, knowing that even though neither of us were trying to kill the other, we could still exercise our skills to their utmost..._

_Concentrate__, Kenshin!_ he scolded himself a moment later. _Analyze the fight __later__, when you're alone and can think about it properly..._

"Kenshin?" Sanosuke said from behind him, his tone wary, and Kenshin fought back another wince. His attention was wandering because he was drained from the fight, and the chest wound Saitō had given him at the beginning of their bout...

_When all else fails, do what Shishō used to do to force my attention back to a lesson..._ Clenching his hand into a fist, Kenshin hit himself - hard - on the bridge of his nose. Much as he disliked adding yet _more_ pain to what he was already dealing with, the shock of the sensation _should_ serve to focus his attention...

It worked wonderfully; by the time he brought his fist down and looked at Ōkubo again, his eyes were already back to violet, although he was still glaring. "This incident has already involved this one's friends," Kenshin said firmly, as he purposefully slipped back into his habitual manner of speaking when acting as the rurouni. "You will talk with us _all_ here."

The relief coming from Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi was almost overwhelming, and Kenshin let himself sag slightly as he raised one hand to gingerly touch the edge of the chest wound Saitō had given him. "Megumi-dono," he continued, turning to her as Ōkubo and the Superintendent-General discussed their options, "could this one request that you see to his wounds?"

"Of course!" Megumi exclaimed, her eyes widening slightly as they took in the blood soaking his _gi_ - she had been with Sanosuke, of course, and so hadn't seen Saitō's first attacks. "There are still some bandages in the next room," she added, taking his left arm in a firm grip and almost pulling him out of the dojo.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, feeling a great deal more focused than he had, Kenshin sat down facing Ōkubo, with all four of his friends gathered around him, waiting to find out _why_ Saitō had been sent in to disrupt his life.

Ōkubo took a breath and let it out in a sigh - a surprising display of emotion for him - and said, "I won't waste time with discretion. I'll tell you straight out. Himura..." He met Kenshin's eyes, and lowered the guard he held on his _ki_, letting Kenshin feel the worry that ran through him. "In Kyoto, Shishio plots again."

_Shishio?_ Kenshin's eyes narrowed a bit further. _Shishio - who was __reported__, not just rumoured, to have died in the Boshin War?_

"_That's_ straight out?" Sanosuke exclaimed in disbelief. "Who the hell's _Shishio_?"

The Superintendent-General - whose name, Kenshin had picked out from the man's quiet discussions with Ōkubo, was Kawaji - jabbed at Sanosuke and snapped, "Hey, watch your mouth!"

Not wanting to deal with an argument just at the moment - he felt better, but he'd still lost blood and had a hole in his chest - Kenshin interrupted with an explanation.

"Shishio Makoto," he said flatly, for a moment remembering the first time he'd heard the name - after his return from Otsu - and then he pushed the memory away and reminded himself that he had to stay focused, not give in to old grief. "Once this one emerged from the shadows to fight as a 'free-striking swordsman' against the Shinsengumi and its allies, Shishio Makoto, another Chōshū revolutionary, lived the role of the 'hitokiri of the shadows'. In other words," he added grimly, "he's the successor to 'Hitokiri Battōsai'."

He'd shocked them. "_Battōsai's_... successor?" Yahiko and Megumi exclaimed in unison.

"I've never heard of him," Sanosuke put in, sounding as though that fact were a personal insult.

"Mm..." Kenshin murmured in agreement. "He worked in the shadows and is almost completely unknown. Even this one had no direct contact with him." Then he gave Ōkubo a pointed look. "But how could this be?" he asked, although he thought he had a pretty good idea of the general outline of what had happened. He had the feeling it would be a wise idea to let the others know just how dangerous a situation they might be dealing with. "This one heard Shishio died in the Boshin War ten years ago."

Ōkubo met his gaze silently, the truth - which was exactly as Kenshin had thought, at least in terms of what they had done to Shishio - clear in his eyes.

"Ah... so he didn't _die_ after all. He was _erased_ by his comrades."

Kenshin could feel his friends staring at him as their unguarded _ki_ resonated with shock and bewilderment.

"A man whose life is a dark secret can be made to disappear into even greater darkness for the good of everyone," he explained coolly, a bit of the hitokiri's mindset leaking past his mask. "It wasn't hard, during that chaotic age."

"We had no choice at the time," Ōkubo added quietly. "Shishio Makoto's skill at the sword was as great as yours, but he also had ambitions and greed beyond imagination. His reason for taking on the task of hitokiri was only to let the revolutionary officers feel his power and presence; unlike you, who wished only to fight for your comrades, and for the weak." Ōkubo looked down, an expression of shame crossing his face.

"Some of the assassinations Shishio committed can never be revealed; if so, the Meiji government would be turned on its head. If we entered the new age with Shishio alive, he could use that vulnerability to get his hands around the nation's throat."

At that point, Kenshin was somewhat confused. "So he _was_ killed in the chaos of the Boshin War... Wasn't he?"

"Yes," Ōkubo said grimly. "We killed him." He paused for a moment, and then added, "We thought. We even had oil poured over him and the body burned.

"But even with his body engulfed in flames, Shishio Makoto _survived_. And now, he's gathered many battle-mongers who crave blood and flesh, and weapon-merchants who hate the peaceful times, creating a large army of soldiers, making the dark streets of Kyoto his base, plotting to trigger a war of vengeance splitting this country in two... split with the secrets of his assassinations.

"The many troops we sent have all been annihilated. _You_ are our last hope. For the people of this country, Himura... please go to Kyoto once again," Ōkubo finished, meeting Kenshin's gaze again, his plea clear.

_He honestly believes that I __am__ their only hope against Shishio..._

"Does that mean you want Kenshin to assassinate Shishio Makoto?" Kaoru demanded in dismay.

"To put it bluntly, yes," Ōkubo replied, looking down again.

"Of course," Kawaji put in, "we don't expect that you'll work for free." Kenshin winced, certain that the Superintendent-General was about to set off another explosion. "We'll reward you generously and take care of your allies.

"Such as," he added, his eyes going to where Megumi was sitting next to Kenshin, "pardoning Takani Megumi of the _crime_ of selling opium."

Yes, there was definitely going to be another explosion...

Megumi slammed her hand down on the floor of the dojo. "Don't you toy with me," she snapped. "If I am to be an ingredient in some deal causing Kenshin trouble, _I'll take the hangman's noose_!"

Kawaji looked rather frustrated at that - he'd obviously been counting on having Kenshin's friends to hold over his head, something that Kenshin did _not_ appreciate. On the other hand, it was clear that Shishio apparently _did_ pose a serious threat...

"This whole thing is because of the Meiji government's dirty deeds," Sanosuke said coldly. "Why should Kenshin wipe _your_ butts? He chose the life of a rurouni, forbidding himself to kill."

Kenshin winced again at that statement. This was going to be a problem...

"I can't just sit by while you drag him into your filth!" Sanosuke finished, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"Shut your mouth, you ignorant punk!" Kawaji snapped.

Perhaps more than just _one_ more explosion... The Superintendent-General was _not_ making any friends here.

"The existence of the _Meiji government_ rides on this!" he continued.

_Definitely the __wrong__ tack to take with Sano..._

Sanosuke snorted contemptuously. "Then maybe your dirty government _should_ fall! What have you done for the people, anyway?"

_...And with me. Ōkubo's argument is far more effective. Of course, he __does__ know me better..._

"Without the Meiji government, there can be no peace in the land, fool!" Kawaji snapped, grabbing Sanosuke's jacket in one hand.

"Someday you'll find out the people don't _need_ your government!" Sanosuke returned, copying the gesture - except more effectively.

Kenshin was wondering how he could intervene between them without doing more damage to the atmosphere in the dojo, as they started insulting each other, when Yahiko interrupted.

"All this talk about Meiji and government..." he muttered, sticking his finger in one ear, "guess this _kid_ can't get it.

"But I _do_ get that if things had been different... _Kenshin_ would've been the one being _erased_."

Everyone stared at him, and Kenshin felt a surge of pride in the young boy. No one here was likely to underestimate Yahiko's intelligence now.

"All you care about assassinations is if they benefit you or not," Yahiko continued. "Me, I'd _never_ get mixed up with you."

_Making you smarter now than I was at three years older than you,_ Kenshin reflected ruefully.

"Ōkubo-kyo," Kaoru said firmly. "I understand that you need 'Hitokiri Battōsai' to help you. But Kenshin is no longer hitokiri."

Kenshin eyed her carefully. He had never, even after Yamagata and Jin-e, anticipated his past coming back to haunt him in such a way... and their defense of him, particularly Kaoru and Sanosuke's, gave him serious cause to regret his deception; while at the same time, everything that Ōkubo had said about how they had dealt with Shishio, and Yahiko's insight, only proved how necessary that deception was.

His thoughts were interrupted as Yahiko, equally firm, finished Kaoru's statement. "We will never allow Kenshin to leave for Kyoto."

"Idiots!" Kawaji exclaimed. Kenshin lowered his gaze, letting his hair hide his eyes as they flared blue with renewed irritation, directed at this entire situation in general, and both Kawaji and his own deception in particular. "Don't you realize how serious this-!"

"Stop, Kawaji," Ōkubo interrupted firmly. He had been letting the Superintendent-General do the same thing as Kenshin had been letting his friends do - sound out the situation. But it was clear that that was now proving counter-productive.

"Ōkubo-kyo...?"

"We can't expect an answer to such a situation right away," Ōkubo continued calmly, and then spoke directly to Kenshin again as he stood up and picked up his coat, putting it on. "Please think about it over the week. A week from now, on the Western 'May 14th', I will come back to hear your answer."

Ōkubo had turned and started toward the door before Kenshin made any response.

"Ōkubo-san," he said quietly, wondering how the Chief of Internal Affairs would react, "you've lost weight, these past ten years." He raised his head as Ōkubo stopped and looked back at him, letting the other man see the blue colour of his eyes.

"To build a new era is more difficult than to destroy an old one," Ōkubo offered after a moment. "Sad, but true."

Yes, Kenshin could understand why Saitō had been willing to place himself under Ōkubo's command. There was a wisdom in his expression that he hadn't had the last time Kenshin had seen him - the kind of wisdom that could only be gained through the twin forges of growth and pain.

"I'll anticipate a favourable reply," Ōkubo finished quietly, and turned away again.

As soon as the door closed behind Ōkubo and Kawaji, the others exploded, yelling, their words all more or less amounting to a denunciation of Saitō, Ōkubo, and Kawaji, and their determination not to let him leave Tokyo. Kenshin ignored all four of them, standing up carefully and heading for the hall.

"Kenshin, where are you going?" Kaoru demanded, her tone urgent. "We need to discuss this!"

_No, __we__ don't. This is a decision __I__ have to make. Taking all of you into account, of course - but it is __my__ decision._ "This one is going to bed, Kaoru-dono," he said out loud, his tone calm. He could feel the warmth from his neck that meant the bruises caused by Saitō's stranglehold were starting to become visible. "It has been a long day, and this one requires sleep in order to help heal. Saitō was _not_ gentle in his attacks, that he was not."

That managed to silence them - all of them - and he continued toward his room without any more questions being asked.

_To sleep... and to think. I have a decision to make._

* * *

Saitō looked at the large house in front of him with distaste, before slipping in behind Akamatsu. Whatever Battōsai had done to him in those two hours, combined with the panic that had been brought on by the realization that Ōkubo - who was known by most of the government to be incorruptible - was involved, had caused the assassin to forget to pay attention. He hadn't noticed when Saitō had begun following him, and still hadn't noticed, half an hour later, that he was leading someone straight to his employer.

_Heh... You broke him, didn't you, Battōsai. Not as badly as Isurugi Raijūta - but then, much as I find him distasteful, Akamatsu __is__ made of sterner stuff. He __would__ be able to resist you... somewhat better._

Using the darkness to hide him, much as Battōsai had in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu, Saitō drifted up the stairs after Akamatsu, listening carefully. The one problem with paper walls that Western-built buildings didn't have was that sound carried easily. When one was on a second floor, and unable to see the shadows of would-be eavesdroppers, it made it easy to listen in.

"Ōkubo Toshimichi!" Shibumi's voice exclaimed in shock. Saitō grinned darkly as he finished climbing the stairs, and moved into the natural shadows of the hall.

"Yeah," Akamatsu said, his voice panicky. "What are you gonna do?"

"So... Saitō is Ōkubo's dog," Shibumi said.

Saitō's grin morphed instantly into a snarl. _Dog?__ If that is what you think of me, Shibumi, you are in for quite the surprise._ Still staying in the shadows, he slipped down the hall toward the room the voices were coming from.

"This is good," Shibumi continued. "If I bribe Saitō and have him find Ōkubo's secrets..." In the hall, Saitō bared his teeth in anger at the insult. "..._I_ can become the next Chief of Internal Affairs!"

_What you can become is a __corpse__!_

"Th-this is no joke!" Akamatsu stuttered, as Saitō reached the _shoji_ leading into the room and slowly, carefully slid it open. "You go on and burn your _own_ bridges! I'm heading for someplace safe, like Shanghai!"

_Ah, perfect timing..._ "There's a _safer_ place to go than Shanghai," Saitō said coldly, stepping forward - and drew his sword and slashed it through Akamatsu's neck without a pause. "A place called _hell_," he finished, as the assassin's blood flew past his face.

Shibumi was staring at him in stark terror as he advanced slowly. "Shibumi, you've misunderstood one thing.

"You revolutionaries think you alone created Meiji, but people from the old government also put our lives on the line. As the 'defeated', we've contributed too. The reason I serve the government, as a former Shinsengumi who spies for his conquerors, is to rid Meiji of the _blood-sucking ticks_ who feed on it."

By now, sweat was pouring down Shibumi's face.

"Ōkubo, or whoever it may be... if he will drown in his own greed and bring misfortune to the people of this country... then he, too, shall meet the 'Swift Death to Evil'," Saitō finished. That, after all, was the reason Ōkubo had agreed to employ him, and the terms under which he worked.

"W-wait a minute!" Shibumi cried, holding up one hand in a futile protest. "I'll give you money! I'll-"

Saitō sneered. "One may tame a _dog_ with food," he said contemptuously, "or tame a _man_ with money; but the taming of a _Wolf of Mibu_ - that, _none_ may do." And he swung.

"A wolf is a wolf," he commented a minute later to the silent room, studying his handiwork, "as Shinsengumi is Shinsengumi..." A thin, wolfish smile crossed his face. "...And hitokiri is hitokiri. Right, Battōsai?"

* * *

**Glossary**

_shoji_: Interior door in a Japanese home.

_Shinsengumi Facts_: Article #1 of the Shinsengumi's laws prohibited members of the Shinsengumi from deviating from the path proper as a samurai. Also, the laws under which the Shinsengumi operated are one of the strictest sets of laws known in human history.


	7. C2P2: Contemplations

Author's Note #1: Posting this early in honour of my niece (my parents' first grandchild), Zoe Elizabeth, who is now 3-1/2 days old.

Author's Note #2: All dialogue and actions in this part are entirely original. Let me know what you think...

Author's Note #3 (good thing they're short): This part contains both an explanation for _why_ Kenshin (in this story) has stayed at the dojo; and also, for those who care about such things, the beginnings of a theme that will continue throughout the story (can you guess what? If not, more indications in Pt. 3...).

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C2P1 (sixth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing. Thanks also go to Merula, whose questions about Kenshin staying at the dojo made this chapter better...  
Minor edit: Thurs. May 18/06.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ōkubo Toshimichi - May 14th, 11th Year of Meiji**

_Part 2: Contemplations_

Kenshin glanced around warily as he slipped out of the dojo compound. For the past three days, ever since the encounter with Saitō and Ōkubo, he hadn't been left alone once. If it wasn't Kaoru dragging him everywhere with her, it was Yahiko bothering him for advice, or Sanosuke hanging around and trying to convince him to go gambling again. Not to mention the fact that Megumi had come over to cook dinner for them all three nights. And they all wanted to speak to him about going to Kyoto; or rather, make sure that he _didn't_ go to Kyoto. It was becoming more than a bit annoying, not to mention it kept distracting him from the thinking he had to do.

He understood _why_ they were doing all of this, but it didn't make the confinement any easier to bear; nor did it change the fact that the decision was _not_ theirs to make. They were his friends, yes, and he knew that whatever decision was made would have an impact on them because of that; however, in the end, the decision was his and his alone.

_My friends,_ Kenshin thought ruefully. _They are all my friends; and yet Saitō - who before this was always my enemy - knows me better than they do._

He'd never actually intended to stay in Tokyo - not when it was the centre of government and so contained many who might recognize him. In fact, he had been simply passing through when Kaoru had found him that night three months ago. The fact that someone was using the name Battōsai to commit murder and damage the reputation of the Kamiya dojo had persuaded him to stay and solve the matter, but even then, he'd still meant to leave as soon as he'd taken care of the Hiruma brothers.

And then Kaoru had said, with absolute honesty, that she didn't care that he had been Hitokiri Battōsai - and Kenshin had found himself agreeing to stay. No one had ever, once they learned who he was, been willing to simply accept him; no one until Kaoru... and then Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi, along with Gensai-sensei, had soon followed. For Kenshin, it had been an entirely unexpected and unlooked for gift, and so he'd started to make a place for himself with them. And for a little while, the fact that the rurouni who had an absolute refusal to kill was merely a disguise hadn't mattered; he'd still had no need to kill anyone, even those who threatened them. Defeating them was enough.

Kenshin strongly suspected that it _wouldn't_ be enough to deal with Shishio Makoto. As he'd told Sanosuke and the others, he'd never met Shishio, but he _did_ know the other's reputation - and that reputation was, as Ōkubo had stated, as formidable as his own; which meant that should he choose to go, he most likely _would_ have to kill the other hitokiri. Certainly it was unlike Saitō to make mistakes in evaluating an enemy's strength, whether underestimating or overestimating them, and he thought that Kenshin was going to have to kill Shishio.

Kenshin sighed heavily as he wandered into the marketplace, which was still empty at this hour - the sun had not yet breached the horizon. He always felt more comfortable in the darkness and the shadows, a legacy of the Bakumatsu that he usually tried to ignore; but right now, he needed that additional element of comfort. The decision he had to make was a difficult one.

There was no denying that Shishio _was_ a threat; Ōkubo had been very clear, and very honest, about that. The question was whether or not Kenshin was the best one to deal with the threat that he presented.

Both Saitō and Ōkubo obviously felt so - he didn't count Kawaji as that evening in the dojo three days ago had been the first time they had met - and he had a great respect for both their opinions; but Kenshin really did _not_ want to kill for the government again. And he _definitely_ did not want the government to learn that the 'rurouni who refuses to kill' was merely a mask.

Kenshin had been fully aware, even during his first year as hitokiri, that the Chōshū Ishin Shishi, and after that the Meiji government that followed it, would deal with any perceived threat by terminating that threat - after all, he'd been responsible for occasionally handling those 'terminations'; and 'Hitokiri Battōsai' was in many ways a major threat to the Meiji government. He knew too much, and he was a fully trained assassin, one that not even the Shinsengumi had been able to stop. If he had the desire, he could decapitate the Meiji government within days - and they knew that.

If he _did_ kill Shishio for them, they would also know that he was willing to kill - and that would turn him from the potential but unlikely threat he posed as the rurouni, into a definite threat. _Not_ something he wanted to have happen...

Abruptly, he felt the approach of a guarded, familiar _ki_.

"I thought I might find you here, Battōsai," Saitō commented coolly, stepping out of the alley just ahead, where he'd evidently been waiting, to face Kenshin. "We need to talk."

"What is it that you want, Saitō?" Kenshin demanded. He'd wanted to be alone; aside from Kaoru or Sanosuke, Saitō was the _last_ person he'd wanted to meet here.

"I told you, we need to talk. Privately, where we cannot be overheard," Saitō added, glancing around the marketplace with a touch of disdain.

"About what?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Saitō's face. "Shishio, of course," he replied. "As well as few things I don't believe you wish to have spread about."

It didn't take a genius to recognize Saitō's veiled reference to his knowledge of the truth, nor the threat of what he would do if Kenshin didn't cooperate. "Very well," Kenshin agreed reluctantly. "Where?"

"Follow me," Saitō ordered curtly, and started down the alley he had been waiting in.

Kenshin definitely didn't care for Saitō's tone - the Shinsengumi had no business giving him orders; police officer or not, Kenshin was _not_ under his command - but followed nonetheless. _I suspect Kaoru and Sanosuke, at least, would be busy calling me an idiot right now,_ he reflected ruefully. _I __know__ Sano would be telling me not to trust Saitō at all, much less follow him somewhere I don't know._ Kenshin shook his head at the thought. _I don't __like__ Saitō, but in this case, I do know that he's trustworthy. And he's also proven he's willing to keep my secret, even from Ōkubo. Much as I hate to admit it, I __do__ owe him for that._

They walked in silence for almost ten minutes, until they entered an area of Tokyo Kenshin hadn't visited very often. He knew his way around, of course - he'd quartered Tokyo quite thoroughly during the week he'd spent trying to locate Hiruma Gohei, and had done an even more thorough job of scouting and memorizing the city once he'd decided to stay; learning the lay of the land had become as much of an instinct for him as hiding in the shadows and guarding his _ki_.

Finally Saitō came to a stop in front of a small restaurant whose sign indicated it remained open all night. "In here," he said, sliding the door open.

Kenshin frowned. "Somewhere we can't be overheard, you said," he murmured, giving Saitō a dubious glance as he followed the Shinsengumi in.

"And we won't be, here," Saitō returned, a sweep of one hand encompassing the whole, empty room, well-lit by lamps suspended from the ceiling. "It closed two hours ago."

"Then how is it you were able to open the door?" Kenshin countered. "And why does it claim to be open all night if it is not?"

"Usually it is," Saitō declared, leading him toward a corner booth at the back. "But this restaurant is owned by an... acquaintance of mine, one who owes me a favour. He was pleased enough that I simply requested he close early tonight as my payment." The Shinsengumi knelt down at the table with his back to the far wall.

Rather than ask how Saitō had guessed that today would be the day he got fed up with his friends' smothering actions, Kenshin simply sat down next to Saitō - so that his back was to the side wall of the restaurant - leaned his sakabatō against his shoulder, and waited for Saitō to open their discussion. After all, Saitō _did_ know him quite well - and if all else had failed, he was sure the Shinsengumi would have simply 'requested' that his acquaintance continue closing the restaurant early until he _had_ shown up.

However, the Shinsengumi didn't start talking immediately. Instead, he snapped his fingers, the sound echoing loudly in the empty room. A moment later, a _shoji_ on the opposite side of the room opened, and an older man came in, carrying a tray with two delicate cups and a pot of tea. Kenshin gave Saitō a curious look as the man came over to the table, bowed to the both of them, then placed the tray down and returned to whatever he'd been doing when Saitō had summoned him, all without a word.

"Tea?"

"I suspect we will be here for a while," Saitō replied calmly, pouring the hot liquid into both cups. "We have a great deal to discuss, and it's best to do it all here and now."

Kenshin nodded slowly, picking up the cup nearest him and taking a small sip; it was quite good tea. He had a fairly good idea he knew what at least one of the things - aside from the situation with Shishio - that Saitō wanted to discuss was. The Shinsengumi's comments and actions at the dojo had made it clear that he knew the truth of the 'rurouni-mask', and Saitō was _not_ the type to let that pass without comment.

"I must admit, Battōsai - I was somewhat surprised to find you here in Tokyo," Saitō began easily. "From all I've heard of your... wanderings... over the past ten years, you seem to have avoided the larger cities, as well as any possible contact with the higher levels of the Meiji government. And yet here you are, in the new capital, and you've _been_ here for three months, which appears to be the longest time you've spent anywhere since Toba Fushimi. Not to mention that during this time, you managed to attract the attention of both General Yamagata and the Tokyo police."

_Well, he's certainly not pulling his punches,_ Kenshin reflected ruefully. "And why would that matter?" he countered. "Where I go - and what I do, as long as I avoid causing trouble - is my concern alone."

Saitō smiled coolly, taking a sip from his own cup of tea. "Ah, but we are going to be working together to deal with Shishio, Battōsai. I find myself curious about this sudden breaking of a pattern you have held to for ten years, and have been wondering why you would choose now, and here in Tokyo, to do that breaking."

Kenshin chose not to dispute the assumption that he _would_ be helping deal with Shishio - not yet, at least. Instead, after a moment's thought, he said simply, "I have friends here."

"Friends?" Saitō repeated, his tone sceptical.

Kenshin's mouth tightened. "Yes, Saitō, _friends_. It's a very simple concept."

Both Saitō's expression and _ki_ flickered with dark amusement. "Friends," he repeated again. "Friends who have no true idea who you are."

"They know my past," Kenshin declared curtly. He had the uncomfortable feeling he knew exactly where Saitō was going with this, but just at the moment, he couldn't see any way out of it. In an effort to maintain control of his temper, he took another sip of tea.

"They may know of your past, but it's quite clear they don't know your present - _Battōsai_," Saitō taunted him. "And while they _know_ your past, it's also clear that they don't _understand_ it."

The last comment was unexpected enough to cut through the anger Kenshin felt at Saitō's mocking tone. _What does he mean by that - and why does he think it will affect me? The last thing I want Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi to __understand__ is what it means to be a killer..._ "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Saitō smirked at him. "Have you heard the stories that have been passed around about you, Battōsai?"

He didn't have to have a mirror in front of him to know his eyes had just shifted to cold blue.

Yes, Kenshin was perfectly well aware of the stories and tales that existed about Hitokiri Battōsai. A number of them had been told even among the Chōshū Ishin Shishi, and he would have had to be both blind and deaf not to be aware of their content.

Battōsai was a bloodthirsty killer.

Battōsai laughed as he killed.

Battōsai bathed in the blood of his enemies.

Battōsai was a demon - _the_ demon of Kyoto.

Those and others, all of them similar in content, had given him a reputation even more terrible than the truth already was.

"What about them, Saitō?" he asked coldly.

Saitō's smirk widened. "I simply find it interesting that those very 'friends' you claim to hold dear - dear enough to break the habits of a decade for - are thoroughly convinced of the truth of those stories."

A sudden flare of rage turned his eyes amber. "What are you talking about?" Kenshin hissed, his tone venomous.

Saitō was not at all put off by his furious glare - not that Kenshin had ever expected that; the two of them were too well matched, in both skill and certain aspects of temperament, for the Shinsengumi to fear him.

"As I'm certain you were able to guess," Saitō said calmly, taking a sip of his tea, "I've been watching you, and those friends of yours, for a while now - after all, we had to have a good idea of how to convince you to help against Shishio. Through agents for several weeks, and then personally since your fight with Isurugi Raijūta.

"And aside from the fact that your little pretense of being the rurouni who will not kill again is quite convincing - I will admit that I wasn't absolutely certain it _was_ an act until we were face-to-face - I noticed one important thing. Those friends of yours - all of them, including that street thug - _believe_ those stories. They seem to be convinced that those ridiculous tales tell the truth of who 'Hitokiri Battōsai' is; which is part of the reason they are so terrified of what happens every time you get into a _real_ fight."

For a long moment, all Kenshin could do was stare at the Shinsengumi, stunned by his words.

"No answer for that, Battōsai?"

Kenshin took a slow breath. "What are you trying to do, Saitō?" he demanded quietly. Unlike Megumi, he knew the man he was facing now would definitely recognize his current tone - it was the only one he'd ever heard from Battōsai in Kyoto.

"I'm simply attempting to point out a few things to you, Battōsai," Saitō replied, still calm. "Because if you believe that your 'friends' have truly accepted you as you are - or even as you _pretend_ to be - you are deceiving yourself. _Knowing_ is not _accepting_, much less understanding. And the only thing they accept about you is the mask you show them."

Kenshin flinched at Saitō's all-too-blunt analysis of the situation with his friends. _Yes, he is __definitely__ not pulling his punches._ He had just started to open his mouth to snap out a reply when he heard steps approaching from behind the _shoji_ on the opposite wall. Glancing over, he saw it slide open, and the old man who had brought in the tea came in again, this time with a tray containing two bowls of what his nose told him was _soba_.

He cast a questioning glance at Saitō, but the Shinsengumi appeared to be as puzzled as he was by the man's sudden appearance.

"Here you go, Fujita-san," the man said quietly, putting the tray down on the table next to the pot of tea. "I hope that you and your colleague enjoy the meal." Turning around, he left again, sliding the _shoji_ shut behind him, apparently unaware of the puzzled stares he was getting from Kenshin and Saitō.

Then Kenshin gave Saitō another look. "'Colleague'?" he repeated.

Saitō shrugged. "The description is appropriate enough, as far as it goes, since I'm not about to tell him who you really are," the Shinsengumi stated. "It's also a term I tend to use for certain agents who either don't wish to or can't afford to have any official connection with the police. I've had occasion to meet them here as well; as I stated originally, this is an excellent place to avoid being overheard. It's certainly better than the Kamiya dojo."

Kenshin was quick to seize the chance to change the subject. He had _no_ desire to continue discussing the problems with his friends with Saitō. "Speaking of which, I assume that Akamatsu and Shibumi were... dealt with."

"There's no point in mincing words, Battōsai," Saitō commented evenly; and Kenshin, relieved to realize that he was going along with the change of subject, let the amber fade from his eyes. "They're dead. I was not about to take the risk that they could pass any information back to Shishio that he doesn't already have."

That surprised him. "Shishio?" he asked, frowning. "They were involved with Shishio?" The impression he'd received from questioning Akamatsu had been that Shibumi had been in charge...

"Not directly," Saitō answered, putting his tea to one side and lifting one of the bowls of _soba_. "However, I suspect - as do Ōkubo and Kawaji - that the ultimate authority behind the assassinations that Jin-e and Akamatsu have been involved in over the past ten years has been Shishio. Certainly a number of the ones over the past six years have cleared several of Shishio's potential opponents from the field."

Kenshin's frown deepened as he focused his complete attention on the current situation with Shishio Makoto. He'd consider what Saitō had said about his friends later. "So he has most likely been at least six years in the planning of whatever it is he intends, which means he's been moving slowly - and obviously carefully, since his actions are not common knowledge, even in the higher levels of government. According to what Ōkubo said, he has both an army and access to weapons..."

Saitō nodded in agreement. "Yes - he has, at the very least, an army of over a thousand men, and contacts with two of the biggest black market weapons dealers in Japan," he said soberly. When Kenshin gave him a curious look, he added, "We had an agent close to Shishio's inner circle, who was unfortunately found out and killed over two months ago. He was only able to obtain a limited amount of information for us, but he _did_ manage to discover that Shishio had a group of assassins on his payroll. That was what led us to investigate Jin-e, after Uramura submitted his report on what you told him."

Kenshin sighed. "Trying to cut the head off a snake, while it's coiled around you and tightening," he commented, shaking his head. "What makes you and Ōkubo think that I'm the proper one to deal with Shishio?"

"What makes you think you are not, Battōsai?" Saitō countered. "If nothing else, you are both hitokiri, which means you are likely to have an insight into the way he thinks that the rest of us do not."

_He has a point there,_ Kenshin reflected, as he picked up his own bowl of _soba_ and took a mouthful. Saitō did the same, apparently willing to wait while Kenshin thought about it, and the two of them ate in silence for a few minutes. _I, of all people, know that a soldier's or a leader's mindset is very different from that of a hitokiri. Some among the Shinsengumi - including Okita and Hijikata - came close, but even they did not have the full sense of what it means, to be hitokiri. Saitō comes __very__ close - that much is obvious by how well he understands me - but not the whole way._

_Still... the other problems remain._

"You are quite likely right about my being able to read the way he thinks," Kenshin admitted finally, "but I'm still not convinced that I am the best one to deal with him face-to-face. You believe that Shishio will need to be killed to end the threat he poses, and while I am not disagreeing with you, do you really believe that I can do that?"

Saitō snorted in response. "What do you think the purpose of that fight in the Kamiya dojo was?"

"Other than another excuse to fight me?" Kenshin asked, keeping his tone mild, enjoying the chance to give Saitō back at least a bit of the taunting he'd taken from him so far this morning.

Saitō put his bowl down to one side and met Kenshin's eyes, his own glittering gold in the subdued lighting. "Don't play the idiot, Battōsai - it doesn't suit you, despite what those 'friends' of yours may think. We've established that we both know you are still as much the hitokiri as you ever were, no matter what they may believe. You proved that three nights ago."

"I'm not denying that," Kenshin stated calmly. "I'm simply wondering whether you're correct about me being the right person to face Shishio. Hitokiri or not, I have _no_ desire to kill again."

"However, you _will_ kill if you believe you need to," Saitō countered, equally calm. Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he studied Kenshin. "It's not really the idea of killing Shishio itself that's the problem, is it, Battōsai; you know the threat he poses _must_ be dealt with. So... what _is_ it that's keeping you from agreeing to this right now?" Lifting his cup, he took a sip of tea and then placed it back down, all without looking away from Kenshin.

Kenshin's mouth tightened at the question. "There _are_ reasons, Saitō. Reasons that I'm trying to figure out a way to deal with, because I agree with you and Ōkubo that Shishio definitely poses a dangerous threat."

Saitō's expression grew intent. "That group that call themselves your friends, Battōsai, though they have no true knowledge of you?"

It took a bit of an effort, but Kenshin managed to keep himself from rising to the bait. He had no desire to repeat this discussion with Saitō, not after they'd just finished it.

"No..." Saitō continued slowly, still intent on him. "They wouldn't be in Kyoto to see us deal with Shishio, and I'm sure you can convince them that you didn't kill him, considering how easily you've led them to believe that your little act is the truth of who you really are. So it's something else, then." He took another sip of his tea, then placed the empty cup next to his bowl.

"It may interest you to know that the only people other than the two of us and your 'friends' who know that Ōkubo intended to approach you about Shishio, much less that he did so, are Ōkubo himself, and Kawaji. Perhaps Shishio and some of his people - they _do_ know where you live, and I have little doubt they have been watching you... But there is no one else in either the government or the police force who has been informed you are involved, not even Chief Uramura. No one."

_Yes,_ Kenshin thought, slightly stunned - and _more_ than slightly relieved - by the information, _Saitō __does__ know me very well._

* * *

Saitō watched with no little amusement as Battōsai stared at him, obviously - well, it was obvious to him, at least - stunned, either by the details of what he'd just said, or the fact that he had actually come right out and told the hitokiri. And just as obviously relieved, which meant that he _had_ been right about what Battōsai's main concern was.

Not that the latter surprised him. Saitō had made a point of studying Battōsai whenever they'd encountered each other during the Bakumatsu, and had effectively become the Shinsengumi's expert on the redheaded hitokiri. Not that it had helped them defeat Battōsai at the time - Chōshū's premier hitokiri had simply been too good at what he did - but it had been another reason Ōkubo had requested that he be the one to evaluate Battōsai. And the past three and a half weeks of direct observation had simply served to increase his knowledge.

While he'd been musing, Battōsai had regained full control over his expression, and was now glaring angrily at Saitō, though his eyes held only flecks of amber within the blue. "I'm glad you find all this so amusing," the hitokiri said bitingly.

"Did you expect otherwise?" Saitō returned easily, not bothering to hide the fact that the response had amused him just as much as the hitokiri's expression had. "You are so rarely taken off-guard, Battōsai, and I must get my amusement where I can."

Then he returned to the more serious subject of what Battōsai was going to do. "So, now that you are aware that no one other than the four of us will know how you handle Shishio, what is your decision?"

Battōsai frowned, picking his cup up and taking a sip of tea - which was most likely almost cold by now. Saitō raised the teapot in a silent question, and the hitokiri shrugged and extended his cup to be re-filled. "I'm supposed to meet Ōkubo on Tuesday to give him my answer," he said evasively.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. So what are you intending to tell him?" Saitō questioned, taking the opportunity to fill his own cup.

Battōsai hesitated for a moment. "Only the four of us will know how I handle Shishio, you said. What if others become involved?"

"Unless they're present for the actual confrontation, we can just as easily have the record show that Shishio was killed by Lieutenant Fujita," Saitō replied.

"In that case, my answer will most likely be 'yes'," Battōsai stated. "Even if Ōkubo is only partially right about what Shishio intends, it's the common people - the ones I fought for, who enjoy the peace we've managed to achieve - who will be the ones to suffer the most."

Saitō nodded in agreement. "I will arrange for the file of information we've managed to collect on the details of Shishio's activities to be available for you when you meet him," he said, and Battōsai inclined his head in thanks.

"Now, since this _is_ a place safe from eavesdropping, I suggest we discuss our preliminary plans for getting to Kyoto..."

* * *

Sanosuke narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the sun, which had only just risen over the nearest roof. It was still quite early in the morning - earlier than he liked to be up - but ever since Ōkubo Toshimichi had approached Kenshin about becoming hitokiri again three nights - four days - ago, he'd been... uneasy.

He wasn't entirely sure _why_ - after all, Kenshin had made it clear a number of times that he had no interest in killing anyone ever again - but there was _something_, some niggling little feeling, that told him not to be too certain that the rurouni _wouldn't_ go to Kyoto. So he'd been making a point of arriving at the dojo at about the time Kenshin woke up each morning, to make sure he was still there.

Opening the gate, Sanosuke wandered into the yard, and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone out here, so he headed up to the door, wincing slightly as he took in the hole in the wall where that bastard had thrown him, which hadn't yet been repaired. _Got to speak to Kaoru about that... I __hate__ coming in to face that as a reminder! Or better yet, maybe I should mention it to Kenshin - remind him of another reason not to go with squinty-eyes._

Walking in, he heard a bit of noise coming from the direction of the kitchen, so headed over there, hoping that it _wasn't_ Kaoru cooking. He'd developed the ability during his time with the Sekihō-tai - and immediately after - to eat anything that _could_ be eaten, but that didn't mean he had to _like_ it.

"You're early, Sano, that you are," Kenshin commented, looking over his shoulder as Sanosuke entered the kitchen. "This one has not yet finished making breakfast, so you will have to wait to eat."

More relieved than he was willing to admit to see Kenshin still there, Sanosuke shrugged carelessly. "That's fine. I'm willing to wait for your cooking... it's just Kaoru's that I can't stand."

Kenshin appeared to be trying to hide a grin. "You ought to be more courteous to your hostess, Sano," he commented, looking over Sanosuke's shoulder.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Sanosuke turned just in time to duck a thrown pillow, courtesy of Kaoru - who was standing right behind him, still in her sleeping _yukata_, and looking absolutely furious. _Uh oh..._ he thought in dismay, before breaking into a run as she raised the bokken in her other hand threateningly.


	8. C2P3: Disruption

Author's Note #1: And the continuing theme is... Guesses? g

Author's Note #2: I know that the sub-titled anime says the building where Kenshin and Saitō meet Kawaji is the Tokyo Metropolitan PD Headquarters, but it worked better in here as the Department of Internal Affairs.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C2P1 (sixth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing. Thanks also go to Merula, whose questions about Kenshin staying at the dojo made this chapter better... And to my reviewers, who keep me _very_ happy... G

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ōkubo Toshimichi - May 14th, 11th Year of Meiji**

_Part 3: Disruption_

Kenshin woke up quite early on Tuesday morning - the Western 'May 14th', when he was to give Ōkubo his answer concerning the situation with Shishio. He'd already made his mind up on how he was going to do that: Saitō had sent a messenger yesterday with the details of Ōkubo's schedule today - and having seen how busy the Chief of Meiji Internal Affairs was going to be, Kenshin had decided that he would go to Ōkubo, rather than force him to return to the dojo. The fact that it would also give him a chance to tell Ōkubo that he _would_ go to Kyoto without his friends around was, admittedly, something of a bonus.

A part of his early awakening was apprehension about how his friends would take his decision to go to Kyoto... but most of it was a certain eagerness to be on the road again, in spite of what had brought him to that point.

Saitō's comments about his friends and the habits of ten years had hit harder than Kenshin suspected the Miburō had actually intended. After all, for ten years being a wanderer, a rurouni, had not only been his penance, but his safety. The truth was, he'd already begun to feel edgy in Tokyo, even before Saitō's appearance.

He'd learned as a young boy with the slavers that being unnoticed was a good thing. That lesson had only been reinforced as a teenager, when he'd become hitokiri; and at the same time, he'd also learned that staying in one place for too long was hazardous, and that danger could come when and from those least expected. Those lessons, learned young and reinforced by years of experience, would always be strong in him - so strong as to be instinctive now. And those instincts had started nagging at him to leave as far back as when Yamagata had shown up; had only become stronger when Jin-e had appeared; and had begun shouting at him after he had faced Shinomori Aoshi.

Kenshin had managed to ignore them surprisingly well, all things considered, thanks to the friends he'd made... but now that the opportunity to leave had come up, he felt almost _compelled_ to take it. The only thing that had really been holding him back from having told Ōkubo 'yes' immediately, aside from the presence of his friends, was the concern over what the government would do, and when Saitō had provided a solution for that issue - with the unwanted addition of his quite blunt and cynical opinion on Kenshin's friendships - his agreement had become a forgone conclusion.

Of course, under ordinary circumstances, the first thing he would have done would be to place as much of a distance as possible between himself and any more official notice; but Shishio's plans changed things. He'd fought in one war; he never wanted to have to deal with another, and was determined that he _would_ do whatever he could to prevent it from happening.

Shaking his head absently as he pushed the thoughts of Shishio away - there was still some time before he would have to leave to meet Ōkubo - Kenshin glanced around the dojo courtyard. He'd already made breakfast, and it was next to the small stove, keeping warm, but there was probably something else he could do to keep himself occupied...

His eyes fell on the laundry bins, and he frowned slightly. No, he hadn't done the laundry for a few days - which meant it was definitely time for that.

He walked silently back into the building and began collecting all the dirty clothes - which had somehow come to include a few things of Sanosuke's, he noticed wryly - in preparation.

* * *

Kenshin sighed silently as he started scrubbing the second-last piece of clothing left to be washed. Kaoru had been giving him confused looks ever since he'd started doing the laundry right after breakfast, and he didn't need to be able to read _ki_ to know what she was thinking. Yahiko didn't seem to see anything strange about it, luckily... he'd become accustomed to Kenshin's habit of doing chores even during the tensest times. _But,_ Kenshin thought, as he sensed Sanosuke's _ki_ approaching, _I do have to wonder what Sano's reaction will be..._

He didn't have to wait long to find out. He heard Sano come around the building, and a moment later felt a foot nudge him sharply in the side as Sano shouted, "_Hey!_"

Kenshin looked up to see Sanosuke staring at him in disbelief.

"This is no time to be doing laundry!" the street-fighter exclaimed, sounding mildly disgusted. Kenshin gave him a questioning look.

"What are you gonna say?

"I know you probably won't," Sanosuke continued, in a somewhat less strident tone, "but I'm still afraid you're going to listen to Ōkubo. Don't do it. Something smells bad. If the government itself stinks, don't expect the man at the top to smell of flowers."

_So cynical, Sano... Ōkubo is perhaps the best person for the job because he __doesn't__ 'stink', as you put it._ "Sano, you hate the Meiji government from the bottom of your heart, don't you," Kenshin started. He didn't care that much for the government himself, but Ōkubo Toshimichi, at least, didn't deserve Sanosuke's distrust. It was unlikely that Sano would ever _like_ Ōkubo, particularly after Kenshin left, but hopefully he might be able to convince his friend that there was at least one person in the government who _did_ still care about the people of Japan.

"Shouldn't I? I'm Sekihō-tai, remember?" Sanosuke said, glaring at him.

"'Course," Kenshin murmured, as Kaoru came out to join them, holding a towel. He reached for the last piece of clothing and began scrubbing it. "But if Ōkubo-kyo was just another corrupt revolutionary, living for wealth or fame, wouldn't Saitō have already slain him?"

He could feel both Kaoru and Sano staring at him in disbelief, but ignored their looks to concentrate on finishing the laundry. He was going to have to leave soon if he was going to catch Ōkubo between appointments... the laundry had taken more time than he had anticipated when he'd started it, thanks mostly to the addition of Sano's clothes, which had left him running later than expected.

"That crazy cop?" Yahiko questioned from the yard, where he'd been doing his morning exercises. "He's just a government dog."

_Sano seems to have had a definite effect on Yahiko's vocabulary,_ Kenshin noted absently, feeling a hint of amusement ease the seriousness of his mood.

Now... how could he best explain to them that Saitō was anything _but_ that?

_"Aku. Soku. Zan."_ Saitō's words from before the fight in the dojo echoed in his memory.

"No... Before we fought, Saitō spoke of _justice_," Kenshin started slowly. "No _dog_ would dare to use such words. That man is still a Wolf of Mibu..." _In the best sense of the term, that is - Miburō as Kondo, Hijikata, Okita, and Saitō himself made them, rather than Serizawa and Niimi..._ "...And even in the darkness, his fangs glow with 'Swift Death to Evil'." He finished the rinsing and put the last piece of clothing it the bucket to be hung up, then picked up his sakabatō and stood up, slipping it into his _obi_. He could sense Megumi approaching the dojo, and knew he was going to have to act decisively if he was going to avoid having them delay him too long.

"So, then..." he said, picking up the bucket and handing it to Yahiko, "the hanging-up's left to you, Yahiko."

When Yahiko started to protest, Kenshin explained, "This one is going to Ōkubo-kyo's mansion."

Again, Kaoru and Sanosuke gave him stares of surprised disbelief.

"But why?" Kaoru asked. "He said he'd come here."

"Ōkubo-kyo is a very busy person," Kenshin pointed out calmly. "It will be faster to go, than to wait. Besides-"

"There you are!" Megumi called, interrupting as she rounded the corner. "Good morning, Ken-san!"

"If it isn't the vixen," Sanosuke remarked, giving her a cool look. "And what're you after, so early in the morning?"

Kenshin blinked in surprise. He would have thought it obvious: she was here for the same reason she'd been over to cook dinner every night for the past week; for the same reason everyone else was acting so tense. She wanted to stop him from agreeing to go to Kyoto.

Megumi crossed her arms over her chest and gave an indignant snort. "You _do_ realize you're speaking to the person who saved your life?"

He ignored them as they began to squabble, concentrating on drying his hands with the towel Kaoru handed him. He didn't have either the time or the inclination to referee between them at the moment.

He didn't look over until Kaoru's voice added itself to the tumult.

"What _do_ you want?"

Megumi turned to look at Kenshin with a bright, mischievious smile on her face, and he felt a sudden touch of wariness. _She has something up her sleeve..._

"Today's the day for your reply, right?" Megumi said, speaking directly to him rather than answering Kaoru. "I brought something to help you decide..."

_Yes, she's up to something..._ "Oro?" Kenshin said out loud, letting his eyes widen innocently.

Megumi's smile grew larger as she pulled something out of her kimono...

...A collar and leash.

Kenshin was _not_ amused, though Yahiko and Sanosuke definitely were, however much Sano tried to hid it. Kaoru, on the other hand, got quite offended on his behalf, and started yelling at Megumi.

_Of all the things... __Why__ are they treating this as a joke now?_ He shook his head in exasperation. If he didn't watch out, this _would_ delay him too long. "Enough," Kenshin said firmly, interrupting the burgeoning argument. "This one is going."

"Do you even know where his mansion is?" Kaoru questioned, immediately re-directing her attention back to him.

Kenshin shrugged. "No. But word has him in Akasaka today." Well, Saitō's message did, at least. "If the route is by way of Kioizaka, intercepting him is likely." And if he waited much longer, he _would_ miss Ōkubo's carriage.

"Then we'll go with you!" Kaoru exclaimed brightly.

Kenshin hid a flinch. That was very definitely the _last_ thing he needed... "No," he replied quietly. He _would_ have to tell them that he was leaving soon enough, but the longer he could put that off, the better. And he didn't want to tell them in Ōkubo's - or Saitō's - presence. "It will be a complicated conversation," he continued, starting toward the dojo's side gate. "It's better to be alone."

Kaoru's _ki_ flared with hurt at that, and Kenshin winced as he finished turning away. He hadn't meant his words to sound quite as harsh as they had... but it was too late to rephrase it now. And... in a sense, it _was_ true... at least for him.

He carefully didn't look back as he went out the small side gate.

* * *

Kenshin frowned as he walked up the slope of Kioizaka. He'd thought that he would meet Ōkubo's carriage below, but had so far seen no sign of it-

Abruptly the murmuring of many voices impinged on his senses, and Kenshin came around a corner to find a huge crowd gathered at the side of the road, with police officers keeping them away from the road itself. He could smell the thick, coppery scent of freshly-spilled blood, and felt a surge of alarm. What had happened here?

There were times when his slight frame was a benefit, and this was one of them. He was able to slip easily through the crowd to the edge of the road to see what had caught so much attention.

Lying on the road itself, surrounded by police officers, were two blanket-covered bodies, blood spread out across the surface of the road under them. Kenshin found his eyes widening in shock as he recognized Ōkubo's hair under the blanket closest to him, the one with the most police officers surrounding it. "Ōkubo-kyo..." he murmured. _What could have-_

"If you don't yet wish to die," said a quiet voice from his right, "I would suggest not going against Shishio-san."

Kenshin felt his eyes going pure amber as he whipped his head around, searching for whomever had just spoken. He caught a glimpse of a figure about his height in white and blue before it disappeared into the crowd, but he couldn't sense anyone.

Well, no matter. Whoever it had been, they were certain to encounter each other again.

He glanced once more toward the bodies on the road, and then turned and slipped back out of the crowd, one thought uppermost in his mind. _Shishio Makoto..._

* * *

Saitō looked up as he sensed a familiar, tightly-leashed _ki_ approaching the building of the Department of Internal Affairs. Uncrossing his arms, he pushed himself away from the outside wall where he'd been leaning, and caught sight of Battōsai walking up the path to the gate.

The hitokiri's smooth stride and hard amber eyes caught his attention, and Saitō knew he didn't have to ask if Battōsai had heard the news; everything about him, from his stance to the current fury surging through his _ki_, shouted that he knew what had happened.

"It's been claimed by a group of seven samurai from Ishikawa Prefecture," the Shinsengumi stated, as Battōsai drew even with him. "However-"

"It was one of Shishio's men." Battōsai's voice was quiet and cold, his tone matter-of-fact, recalling countless bloody nights in Kyoto. "He was still at the scene when I got there, and obviously recognized me - he warned me not to go after Shishio unless I was prepared to die."

_Foolish of him,_ Saitō thought darkly. Battōsai had put his life on the line during the Bakumatsu, fighting for his beliefs; what made them think this would be different? It was clear as day that Ōkubo's assassination - and perhaps even the threat itself - had only served to intensify Battōsai's determination to deal with Shishio.

And on that topic... "Kawaji wants to see us," he stated, starting toward the building; Battōsai followed him, still moving with the iron control that made it clear the rurouni mask had been firmly put away. Saitō shrugged, mildly irritated - but at the same time, understanding precisely why Kawaji was insisting - as he continued, "He needs to hear from _you_ that you have agreed to help deal with Shishio."

Battōsai gave him a single, sharp nod as they strode into the building and along the hall that led to Kawaji's office.

Neither of them spoke as they walked, but the silence that surrounded them was not an easy one; rather than a calm silence that respected the atmosphere of grief that permeated the building, theirs was a killer's silence, full of sharp teeth. A silence that lasted until they reached the door to Kawaji's office.

Saitō knocked on the doorframe, waited until he heard Kawaji's voice say, "Come in," and then gestured for Battōsai to enter before closing the door behind them both.

Kawaji looked up from the files on his desk, his expression drawn and shadowed. "Saitō. Did you find-"

Battōsai took a step forward, and Kawaji started in surprise as he suddenly saw the redhead.

It had always amazed Saitō how easily the hitokiri could remain unnoticed, considering his very distinctive appearance. Even _ki_-projection could only do so much... But this was neither the time nor the place to concern himself about that.

"Himura-san," the Superintendent-General acknowledged, standing up and coming out from behind his desk; he looked a great deal more tired than he had when Saitō had reported in for work a few hours ago. "I... assume you've heard... about-"

"I was planning to meet Ōkubo-san's carriage on Kioizaka to discuss my decision with him," Battōsai said simply.

Kawaji gave a tired nod, and then turned back to face Saitō, who had taken up his usual position leaning against the wall next to the window. "Is there anything new on those samurai?"

Saitō shook his head in disgust. "No; they're all still insisting that they are the ones responsible. They sent the notice to the papers before Ōkubo would have left his meeting with Yamayoshi-san; they are most likely simply trying to save face."

_Bammm!_

Kawaji had turned around and thumped his fists on his desk in a mixture of rage, frustration, and grief. "_These_ are the methods of Shishio!" he exclaimed furiously. "He plants spies throughout the nation and uses their discoveries to commit crimes. Never revealing himself... Chiseling away at the Meiji government until the day they revolt..." He bowed his head. "Ōkubo-kyo..."

He was interrupted by a knocking at the door, and Saitō noticed Battōsai's eyes fade back to blue as the hitokiri turned to look at the man who had just walked in.

"Excuse me..."

"Yamayoshi-dono, the prefectural governor of Fukushima," Kawaji identified the newcomer, without turning around. He straightened up slightly. "The last person to exchange words with Ōkubo-kyo."

"We'd finished discussing the plans for Tokyo," Governor Yamayoshi explained. Saitō pretended disinterest, but was in reality listening closely. "I visited him this morning to say goodbye. I never expected anything like _this_ to happen..."

* * *

Kenshin listened to Governor Yamayoshi's story, and felt an additional surge of sorrow for what had been lost with Ōkubo's death. Not only a good, honest man, but someone who had high ideals for Japan, and - just as importantly, if not more so - both a plan and the power to bring them about.

"A nation state," Saitō commented from his position against the wall, once Yamayoshi had finished telling his story, "in which the citizens choose their _own_ paths, free of the oligarchy of Edo... or of Meiji, so far." His voice seemed _almost_ neutral - but Kenshin heard a hint of something that sounded very much like admiration buried in it. "A distant dream."

"But it was a _conceivable_ dream," the Superintendent-General said, the strain in his voice obvious, "as long as _Ōkubo-kyo_ was with us."

Kenshin glanced at Saitō, who met his gaze with a grim look that said that he was also aware of Kawaji's tone.

"I was curious about one thing," Yamayoshi continued, and Kenshin had the feeling this was the main reason the governor had come to see Kawaji. "Ōkubo-kyo, who was usually of few words, was unusually talkative this morning. I don't _think_ he was expecting his death... but he _did_ believe that today, somehow, was an important day for the future of Japan."

_Because today was the day I was to give him my answer?_ Kenshin wondered. _Or for some other reason?_

Now, of course, it would be important because of Ōkubo's assassination. A very far cry from what he had wanted.

"Thank you, Yamayoshi-dono," Kawaji said quietly, turning around to face the governor and giving him a low bow. "I appreciate you coming to tell me this."

"You are welcome, Kawaji-san," the governor replied, clearly realizing that Kawaji had no intentions of giving him any details of the matter. He bowed in return, and then let himself out, closing the door again behind him.

"Himura-san," Kawaji said, as soon as the door was completely closed, "I understand that you have agreed to go to Kyoto?"

"Yes," Kenshin replied simply.

"Thank you. Saitō, please see to it that Himura-san is given what assistance he needs to make the trip."

"Of course, Kawaji-san," Saitō said evenly, and then gestured for Kenshin to follow him back out.

"Kawaji-san was quite shaken," Kenshin remarked quietly, as they walked through the halls back to the entrance. The completely empty halls... it appeared that everyone was either working, or had left for the day, shocked by the news.

"He was originally discovered by Ōkubo-kyo," Saitō commented easily. His tone then turned serious. "But Kawaji isn't the only one shaken. Now, the last of the three greatest revolutionaries is gone. The government has been left in the hands of third-rate bureaucrats and _drones_." The Miburō gave Kenshin a sidelong glance. "Now, surely, chaos will engulf Japan - and Shishio will not let this opportunity go."

Kenshin nodded in agreement.

"Which means we will have to move swiftly," Saitō continued. "Have you made arrangements to leave yet?"

"No," Kenshin admitted after a moment. "I came here... directly from Kioizaka."

"Then you'd best go handle them now." Saitō opened the door at the end of the hall to let them out. "I'll meet you at the train station at nine o'clock."

"All right," Kenshin agreed. "I'll meet you there." He turned away from the Miburō and headed down the stairs to the courtyard; it was finally time to figure out how he was going to say goodbye to his friends.


	9. C2P4: Departure

Author's Note: I had some fun with the Kenshin/Kaoru farewell scene... (EG) Those who have the manga will no doubt notice that it looks familiar... but the order of the dialogue is different. And it includes an explanation of how I see the relationship between them in this AU... Enjoy!

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C2P1 (sixth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing. Thanks also go to Merula, whose questions about Kenshin staying at the dojo made this chapter better... And to my reviewers, who keep me _very_ happy... (G)

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ōkubo Toshimichi - May 14th, 11th Year of Meiji**

_Part 4: Departure_

Kenshin leaned against the railing of the bridge, looking over the water, as he tried to think. Behind him, he could hear a babble of confused and frightened voices as people tried to figure out what would happen, now that Ōkubo was dead.

_A lot of fear,_ Kenshin reflected soberly, as he studied his reflection in the water. He'd heard a number of people worry about the possibility of another war while he'd been wandering around; no one wanted to experience another Bakumatsu, but that was what everyone feared would happen. _Too much fear. Which is, I suspect, at least a part of the reason Shishio chose to go after Ōkubo directly._

_And just standing here, brooding, is not going to help deal with him; nor will it truly help me decide how to tell Kaoru, Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi that I __am__ leaving - and leaving __alone__._ He shook his head silently. _I'm going to have to decide the best way based on their reactions to what has happened. And the sooner I do it, the quicker it will be dealt with._

Resolutely pushing himself away from the railing, Kenshin turned and started back toward the Kamiya dojo.

* * *

Kenshin arrived at the dojo just in time to see Megumi and Sanosuke leaving, accompanied by a young boy; Megumi was muttering something that sounded like, "An emergency, _tonight_ of _all_ nights...!"

Well, their absence would make things a bit easier on him, at least, though he suspected that the others would feel he was taking the coward's way out.

_So be it,_ he thought grimly, drifting a bit closer as Sanosuke and Megumi's voices moved out of range. _I suspect that even if I __did__ manage to convince them of the necessity of my going to Kyoto - which I don't think would be possible with words, at least when it comes to Sanosuke - they would want to come with me. Sanosuke - and Kaoru, if the others were there - would insist upon it, I believe._ Kenshin eyed the girl standing just outside the dojo's gate thoughtfully. Yahiko was nowhere to be seen, but he could sense the boy's _ki_ just inside.

_But I can't afford to let that happen. Even ignoring the fact that they don't know the truth about me, they are still my friends - despite what Saitō might think of that. And if he's right about Shishio having spies watching me - which I suspect he is, considering that Ōkubo's assassin __knew__ they had requested my assistance - then Shishio will know they are my friends._

_Most of his attention, from what Ōkubo and Saitō said, is already focused on Kyoto; and I suspect that when Saitō and I arrive there, he will focus __all__ of his attention there. If Kaoru, Sano, and the others were to follow me, Shishio would simply target them in order to split __my__ focus - as Saitō was only too happy to demonstrate last week. And he would be able to deal with them easily._

So this way - unpleasant as the revelation that he was gone would be for his friends, and as much as he dreaded the consequences to those friendships - was by far the safest option for all of them.

Kenshin had just taken another step forward when Kaoru turned and caught sight of him.

"Kenshin!" she exclaimed, sounding delighted at his appearance... and then she fell silent, staring at him.

He knew what she saw: a grim expression, and narrowed blue-violet eyes - not quite the hitokiri he was still, despite what his friends thought, but not the mask of the gentle rurouni either. His thoughts were too dark to maintain the act - had been so since he had seen Ōkubo's body.

But for Kaoru's sake, he forced himself to gentle his expression, and winced as he sensed her uncertain relief.

"Yahiko?" he inquired then.

"Umm... oh. He got tired of waiting and went to sleep," she replied.

_Sleep?_ "Ah," he murmured. Yahiko's _ki_ didn't _feel_ as though he were asleep, but Kenshin felt it best not to argue. This was going to be difficult enough as it was - no sense in making things even harder for either of them.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru's uncertainty had returned full force at his noncommittal answer.

He took a deep breath. "Ōkubo-kyo was killed this morning."

"Yes, we heard," Kaoru replied. "The papers said it was samurai from-"

Kenshin knew what to say now. "The real killers are Shishio and his men," he interrupted her quietly. "They can't be allowed to run loose."

He paused for a moment, and then added, "This one's off to Kyoto."

The expression on her face was one of mingled shock and horror, and Kenshin lowered his face, unable to meet her eyes.

There was a long moment of silence between them, and then Kaoru's voice broke it.

"Shishio Makoto... will you assassinate him, then?"

Kenshin had no idea how to answer that. Assassinate Shishio? The term implied killing someone who was, in essence, helpless to fight back against you - which Shishio most definitely was not. At the same time, he was fully aware of what Kaoru _meant_ by the question: 'Will you kill him?'

"Maybe so," he stated finally - answering both the question asked, and the one implied. "This one will try to avoid it... but it may not be possible. Shishio _must_ be defeated, and if the only way to do that is to kill him, then that is what this one must do."

Kenshin looked away from her again. "During the time spent here, it seemed life as a normal swordsman was possible," he murmured, speaking more to himself than to Kaoru. It _had_ seemed that way; he'd been able to ignore the instincts that pressed him to leave, to resume wandering... to kill those he faced in battle. "But..." He took a deep breath. Was he really going to do this? Really going to tell Kaoru the truth?

_Yes. In a way. Not the complete truth - not now, this is neither the time nor the place for it - but at least let her know that 'Hitokiri Battōsai' is still very much a part of who I am._

"After the battle with Saitō, there can be no doubt; deep in this one's heart, the hitokiri still lives."

"But you can turn back!" Kaoru yelled, grabbing his shoulders - and Kenshin had to forcibly restrain the urge to throw her off. Now that he was finally listening to those instincts again, they were stronger than they had been for years. "However close you get to Battōsai, Kenshin is still Kenshin!"

_"Because if you believe that your 'friends' have truly accepted you as you are - or even as you __pretend__ to be - you are deceiving yourself."_ Saitō's voice echoed in his memory, the words of three days ago coming back to haunt him. _"__Knowing__ is not __accepting__, much less understanding. And the only thing they accept about you is the mask you show them."_

_Ironic, that it would be the Miburō who would see this better than I..._

He couldn't leave Kaoru like this.

"When we first met... 'I don't care about people's pasts,' you said. It was an amazing thing; this one had never felt that much acceptance before." Kenshin offered her a faint smile. "Days were spent with peace in the heart.

"But now time has begun to flow once more, and standing still... is no longer permitted."

Stepping forward, Kenshin pulled her into an embrace. Full acceptance and understanding or not, Kaoru was still a friend - one he loved as dearly as a little sister. She deserved to know that.

"Thank you - for everything," he murmured, "and... _sayonara_." Remembering the night in the dojo when he'd defeated Hiruma Gohei, and Kaoru had discovered who he was, his expression softened further and he gave a bittersweet smile. "This one is rurouni once again; once more, this one will drift."

Kenshin let her go, and then turned and walked off, forcing himself to ignore her calls after him. Best to make a clean break.

* * *

This had not been a good day so far, and it didn't look to be getting any better, Saitō thought irritably as he waited. On the surface, the coded message in his pocket appeared to be good news - or comparatively good news, at least - but with everything that had been happening lately, the Shinsengumi wasn't certain that it would be. Yes, it gave them a potential advantage - but it would delay his arrival in Kyoto, and if Battōsai was still planning to go by the Tōkaidō...

"You appear... displeased," came the hitokiri's voice from behind him.

Saitō turned around, surprised that Battōsai had managed to get so close without revealing any hint of his presence, even to Saitō's _ki_-sense. That was something that definitely had not happened since the Bakumatsu, and Saitō wasn't sure whether he should consider it a good or a bad occurrence. Like so much else that had happened this afternoon.

"Battōsai," he greeted the hitokiri. "Have you finished your farewells?"

He was surprised to see a hint of amber in the hitokiri's eyes at the question, and wondered what had brought that on.

"Yes," Battōsai said, his tone cold.

Understanding the warning for what it was, Saitō decided to change the subject. As long as Battōsai's 'friends' didn't threaten their mission, the hitokiri's relationship with them was none of his affair. And Battōsai would have made certain that they wouldn't interfere. "Are you still planning to walk to Kyoto by way of the Tōkaidō?"

Battōsai shrugged. "Unless you have a compelling reason why I should not," he answered. "It still seems the best way to both avoid having any innocents put at risk if Shishio's men choose to ambush me, and get a sense for what is happening in the more rural areas.

"Why?" he added.

"Something has come up that I need to deal with before leaving for Kyoto myself," Saitō replied. "In addition to that, it will take a few days for the forces that we may need to assist us to finish getting organized - Ōkubo's assassination has caused a great deal of confusion, and as a result, the police force will not be at their most efficient until Kawaji gets things under control."

"So we are likely to arrive in Kyoto at the same time," Battōsai said thoughtfully.

Saitō nodded. "As long as you don't dawdle, that is," he added, and despite the events of the day, found himself amused by the glare Battōsai gave him. It was an interesting game, taunting the hitokiri, and was so far proving to be quite entertaining.

But this was not a time to indulge further in his newly discovered pastime. "Shishio has spun a spider's web of intelligence across the nation - he'll know _all_ that you do." He picked up the slim bag he'd brought and handed it to the hitokiri. "A copy of the file we have on Shishio's activities and men. Once you finish reading it, burn it."

Battōsai inclined his head in silent acknowledgement as he accepted the bag and tucked it into his _gi_. "Is there anything else?"

"No," Saitō said simply.

"Then I will see you in Kyoto," the hitokiri returned, and before Saitō noticed, he had vanished into the shadows.

_Well, I suppose it's good he hasn't lost any of his skills,_ Saitō thought, turning his own steps toward the police department. He had an urgent response to write to Mishima Ei'ichirō, and the sooner it was sent off, the better. The young agent could be too impulsive at times, and Saitō had no desire to have to rescue him from his own folly. _He'll need them, against Shishio..._

* * *

Coming Next Month: **Chapter 3: Makimachi Misao - Tōkaidō and Shingetsu**


	10. C3P1: AN Bandits and Kunoichi

Author's Note #1: A lot of the dialogue - but definitely not all - in this chapter was taken from Acts 58, 59, and 61-70 of the _Rurouni Kenshin_ manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san, some of it modified slightly by bits from the anime, some of it modified by the requirements of the story.

Author's Note #2: Just a reminder - for notes (in this chapter, concerning the Tōkaidō), go to (remove the spaces): www. t1goold. net/ RK/ NotesRK. html

Author's Note #3: Here we start getting more into the AU aspect; you will no doubt notice that the Kenshin Misao meets is _not_ the bumbling rurouni. Enjoy!

Author's Note #4: (Yes, I know - but it's semi-important.) I will be on vacation the end of February/beginning of March, so I may not be able to get Chp. 3.2 up until the second week of March, depending on the connection quality.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Makimachi Misao - Tōkaidō and Shingetsu**

_Part 1: Assorted Nuisances - Bandits and Kunoichi_

Kenshin sighed softly as he finished setting up his camp, and put the fish he'd caught a bit earlier over the fire to cook. He'd been walking almost constantly since he'd left Saitō at the train station in Tokyo last night, and as a result, had already managed to pass Odawara. Luckily, three months in Tokyo hadn't been enough to reduce his stamina too badly, and he could have continued walking until about mid-morning tomorrow before needing to stop if he had felt the need to. But as urgent as dealing with Shishio was, it wasn't _that_ urgent.

He had just managed to get the fish at the right angle to have them cooked in about a quarter of an hour when he heard the sound of voices nearby. Voices that didn't sound as though they were from ordinary travellers...

Standing up, he slipped his sakabatō back into his _obi_, put out his cooking fire, and started in the direction the voices had come from, reaching out with his _ki_-sense as he did so.

The people in question were in a clearing close to where Kenshin had set up his camp. As he stopped in the bushes just outside the clearing, Kenshin frowned; four men who had the appearance and overall feel of bandits to his _ki_-sense, and facing them, a lone girl in a hooded cloak...

Something about this wasn't right. From what he could hear of their conversation, the girl had led them here; which suggested to Kenshin, who had seen any number of ambushes set up in the past, that the danger came from the girl as opposed to the bandits.

Or, at least, was _meant_ to come from the girl... with four bandits involved, however, nothing was sure.

Under ordinary circumstances, Kenshin might have intervened, but in this case, he wasn't entirely certain of what was going on, so he leaned against one of the trees and watched silently.

It turned out to be just as well that he had decided against it, he reflected, as he watched the girl fling off her cloak and proceed to beat all four bandits into unconsciousness. He couldn't help but feel ever-so-slightly amused; only a fool would dismiss the danger posed by someone because they were young. After all, he'd been three years younger than this girl when he'd started his life as a hitokiri.

"So," the girl murmured, sounding quite pleased with herself, "it _works_."

Kenshin frowned as he watched her lean down and lift a bag that sounded as though it were full of money from one of the bandits. Amused by the girl's audacity and the bandits' idiocy or not, she couldn't be allowed to steal - even if she _was_ stealing from thieves.

"I just have to purr a little when I talk," the girl continued congratulating herself, "and the prey comes to me like mice to a trap."

It took less than a minute for Kenshin to decide how to approach this situation. Judging from the girl's moves, she was reasonably well-trained - most likely by _shinobi_; and if he wanted her to take him seriously from the start, which was necessary if he was going to make her return the money to the original owners, it wouldn't do to appear too much the idiot.

Strategy decided, Kenshin alerted the girl to his presence by speaking. "Well. What a surprise," he commented, stepping forward as the girl started and spun around to face him. "A robbery was one thing, but for the 'damsel in distress' to be robbing the robbers?"

"Oh, so girls aren't _supposed_ to steal, is that it?" the girl demanded, in a tone that said she felt she'd been denied a few too many things on the basis of her sex.

"No one should be stealing," Kenshin countered, giving her a narrow-eyed look.

"Oho! So you think you can tell me what to do?" the girl demanded. "Then maybe I'll steal _your_ money too!" Then she frowned, studying him a bit more carefully. "Of course, looking at you... I don't think you _have_ any."

_Trained in __shinobi__ moves, but not their observational skills,_ Kenshin noted wryly, making no move to either confirm or deny her guess. Only an idiot would travel the Tōkaidō on foot and alone while making any wealth they had obvious, and he _wasn't_ an idiot.

"Well, then," she continued, "if you _are_ broke, I guess I'll just have to take that _sword_ of yours instead!"

Kenshin just looked at her for a moment or two longer, and then shook his head. "I think not," he said calmly.

The girl scowled at him, and then abruptly lunged forward, throwing her fist out in a punch... which Kenshin evaded easily, simply stepping to one side. She reacted as any amateur would, and swung again... and missed again.

However, having got a good look at her stance, Kenshin saw an opportunity to get things moving, and stepped into the next punch, deftly removing the bag she'd tied to her _obi_. The punch had very little force - it didn't even pain him as much as the 'fall' he'd taken from Akamatsu - and perhaps now he could put an end to this farce.

"How's that?" the girl demanded eagerly.

Kenshin's tone was cool; she was starting to annoy him. "Blows from an amateur like you wouldn't have any force behind them even if you _did_ hit," he declared, examining the bag: 'Odawara Inn: Tamura Currency Exchange' was written across it. "Now, this money should-"

The girl stared at the bag for a moment in shock, then raised her eyes to glare at him. "_Now_ I'm mad!" she snapped, twitching her wrists... and Kenshin tensed as a set of throwing daggers appeared in her hands.

"Give it back! That's _mine_! Take this!" she continued furiously, raising her hands into position to throw. "_Kansatsu tobikunai!_"

Kenshin was moving even before she released the daggers, diving for the cloak she'd thrown off during the confrontation with the bandits. Judging from the way it had hung, the material was thick enough...

He grabbed one end of the cloak just as the daggers left her hands, and swept it in front of him. Just as he'd hoped, it worked perfectly to entangle and deflect them, saving him from injury.

"Augh! My cloak!" the girl screamed.

Yes, she was _definitely_ annoying him.

"Give me back my money _and_ my cloak!"

Kenshin's mouth tightened in irritation. "The cloak, certainly," he said coldly, tossing it over to her. "The money, on the other hand... this is going back to the original - and _proper_ - owner."

"_I_ stole it, so it's _mine_!"

That was _it_. He'd had _enough_.

Turning away from her, Kenshin started walking back toward Odawara.

"Hold it, you! I _told_ you, that's _mine_!" the girl yelled after him. Kenshin chose to ignore her, continuing in the direction of the town.

"Hey, stop!"

Kenshin simply began to walk a bit faster; he could sense the bandits who had first stolen the money starting to wake up, and even though he knew he could handle them easily, he wasn't in the mood to deal with yet more problems.

Obviously realizing that he wasn't going to listen to her, the girl hurried after him. "You know, you could at least pay for ruining my cloak!"

_Pay__ for __ruining__ her cloak?_ Kenshin thought in disbelief, giving her a flat stare. Was she serious?

The indignant expression on her face and the anger radiating through her _ki_ as she trailed after him suggested that she was.

"Considering the fact that the only reason it is 'ruined' is that you threw daggers at me, you might want to reconsider that idea," he suggested. Kenshin was rather surprised that he'd managed to keep his tone as mild as he had, considering just how much she _was_ annoying him.

"But it's my only cloak!" she protested.

Kenshin did his best to continue ignoring her; but after about ten more minutes of listening to her talk on - most of it complaints about the damage to her cloak and her claim that the money was rightfully _hers_, since she'd been the one to take it from the bandits (Kenshin didn't mention that by that argument, the money could now be considered his) - he was tired enough of it that he pulled out the most obvious of his money pouches (which had the least in it) and dropped it in her hand. "There," he said, giving her a blue-eyed glare. "Take it for the cloak and stop complaining."

She blinked at him, obviously surprised at his sudden giving in, but did indeed stop the constant stream of complaints - although he heard her mutter something under her breath to the effect of being right about his being poor. He didn't bother to respond to that.

* * *

About half an hour later, they reached Odawara.

"'Odawara Inn, Tamura Currency Exchange,'" Kenshin read off the sign as they stopped in front of the largest building in town. There were no signs of activity, and he couldn't sense anything that suggested the occupants were aware of what had happened. "It looks like they haven't even noticed the robbery," he commented to the girl. "So much the better for us."

"Mmph," the girl snorted, glaring at him.

Kenshin jumped easily up to the building's roof, landing lightly and quietly. It would be easier to go in through the top floor; trying to open the main door held the risk of attracting too much attention. And given that people were highly unlikely to believe that he was putting the money _back_, well...

"Ho! Not bad, not bad at all," the girl commented from the ground. Then she snapped her fingers. "_I_ get it! You're a bandit too, huh?"

Kenshin was almost - _almost_ - tempted to say, "No, I'm the most feared hitokiri of the Bakumatsu," the girl was beginning to irritate him that much; but he just gritted his teeth and concentrated on figuring out which of the windows he could access was closest to the secure room the money would have been taken from.

"Well, you're not the _only_ one who-" the girl started, then crouched slightly without finishing her sentence. "_Yah!_" she shouted, jumping upward.

She only _just_ managed to land on the roof; she'd jumped low. It wasn't a bad jump, however; more proof that she'd definitely had some _shinobi_ training. On the other hand...

"How's that?"

_Loud,_ Kenshin thought grimly. _She's lucky that she doesn't seem to have woken anyone up... Whatever training she has, it was __definitely__ only in bits and pieces._

Without answering her, Kenshin walked over to the window he'd selected as most likely, and slipped inside. She followed, her _ki_ flaring with irritation, as he led the way to the secure room.

The door was wide open, obviously the work of the bandits the girl had accosted. They both walked in, and Kenshin headed straight for the open vault.

"Now then," he declared, placing the bag he'd taken from the girl on top, "all is well." There was a sudden flicker of triumph in the girl's _ki_, and he sighed silently, exasperation warring with a steadily increasing irritation, before turning around and relieving her of the two other bags she was trying to sneak out.

"What are you thinking?" Kenshin hissed at her, gripping her shoulders firmly and pushing her out in front of him. He obviously couldn't leave her unwatched for a _second_ here. "You've stolen _enough_ today!"

"But I can't get back to Kyoto if I don't have money!" the girl protested.

That startled him. _Kyoto? She's travelling to Kyoto?_ This... wasn't good. As he'd mentioned to Saitō, one of the reasons he'd chosen to go by the Tōkaidō was to avoid the risk of innocents being ambushed along with him if Shishio decided to try an attack before he reached Kyoto, by avoiding people (most of whom now preferred to go by boat to Osaka, rather than walk the Tōkaidō). Well, with any luck, his reactions to her theft would keep her from deciding that he needed company on the road...

All the same... She was _shinobi_-trained, and from what he'd read of the file Saitō had given him on Shishio's activities, Kenshin didn't put it above the other hitokiri to make use of even youngsters.

"So, you're from Kyoto, then?" he asked, as he followed the girl out of the Odawara Inn, focusing intently on his sense of her _ki_ to ensure that he would know if she lied.

"Uh huh," she replied, nodding. "And, halfway back from Tokyo, I ran out of money, so I _had_ to steal!" She turned and glared at him again. "Then _you_ came, and ruined things!"

Kenshin frowned thoughtfully. "But what was a young girl doing all alone in Tokyo?" he asked as they reached the bridge that would take them back to the Tōkaidō.

"Well," her expression softened, "I was looking for someone."

_Someone she obviously cares about,_ Kenshin noted.

"A person who, during the Bakumatsu, took me in when I had no one else and raised me," she continued.

_So what happened, that she now has to look for him?_

She stopped in the centre of the bridge and glanced down at the water for a moment. "At the start of Meiji, we travelled all over... but then he left me in Kyoto with a friend of his. An old man."

Well, Kenshin could understand that, at least a bit. He certainly would not have wanted to drag a young child along on his wanderings... and from what the girl had told the bandits, she had only been five or six at the start of Meiji. That _was_ too young.

She hadn't finished her explanation yet, however. "I wanted to _stay_ with him! Every time I hear the rumours..." _Rumours?_ Kenshin thought with a sudden touch of alarm. Who was this man who had _rumours_ about him that would travel all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto? "...I run away from home to _find_ him!

"But each time," she added, the excitement in her tone changing to anger, which mingled with hurt in her _ki_, "I fail!"

"Well, that _does_ explain a few things," Kenshin commented, relieved to know that this wasn't a trap set by Shishio, though still uneasy about the identity of whomever the man had been who had raised her... and then hesitated. She hadn't yet told him her name... "Uh..."

"What? Oh, my name?" She smiled. "Misao. Makimachi Misao."

Kenshin inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement, and carefully avoided giving her his own name. Not because he thought she would recognize it, _shinobi_-trained or not, but he didn't want her to think that he was encouraging her to accompany him, which in this case was justification enough for the rudeness. "Still, no matter _how_ badly you need the money, you shouldn't be stealing..." he pointed out.

"Then how am I supposed to get _home_, huh?" Misao demanded.

"Well, you have some money now, from me," Kenshin reminded her, with an uneasy glance back toward the inn. They'd taken enough time returning the money that the bandits might have managed to get back here... "Use that to send a letter to this 'old man' in Kyoto, and have him come fetch you." That should definitely keep her from deciding to travel with him, just in case his attitude hadn't been enough.

"Ooh, yeah!" she exclaimed in response to his suggestion, an expression of realization crossing her face.

"Another thing," Kenshin continued, his uneasiness increasing rapidly. He'd been concentrating his attention on examining Misao's _ki_ for any hints of deception; now he was beginning to think he really should have waited until they'd left the town before starting in on questioning her. "The men you attacked probably have _yakuza_ connections, so you'd better get out of Odawara as soon as-"

"_There they are!_" came the sudden shout, and Kenshin and Misao both looked back in the direction they'd come from, to see a large crowd led by two of the bandits Misao had beaten up coming out from the side streets to block off that end of the bridge.

_And the other two are-_

"Get over here!" came another shout, from the other side.

"They're all over!" Misao gasped, even as one of the ones from the side the inn was on shouted instructions to cut them off.

"You wench," shouted one of the bandits Misao had knocked out, "now you'll _pay_!"

At this point, Kenshin's irritation with the entire situation was rapidly becoming full-out anger. All he'd wanted to do was stop for a bite to eat and a bit of rest...

"Feh. Puh-lease!" Misao said, her tone contemptuous, though Kenshin could easily sense her nervousness. "There's about thirty. You think you can handle _half_, swordsman?"

"Of all the-" Kenshin started, then shook his head. He'd had just about _enough_ of all of this. "I would prefer to stay _out_ of this nonsense."

He and Misao were in the centre of the bridge; both groups of thugs were coming straight toward them. This would be easy.

"Huh?" Misao blurted, her tone confused, as Kenshin took a step forward, eyes glinting with amber flecks as he readied himself.

"Drop the tough talk, shrimp!" one of the original four snapped. "You're dead too!"

Kenshin drew his sakabatō using his full speed, knowing that the people watching would see his movement only as a blur, and made a precise strike on the bridge, the action familiar though it had been over ten years since the last time he'd needed to do this. (He made a mental note to remind Saitō of that time when they met in Kyoto; as he recalled, the result of that particular event had been a group of Shinsengumi - _including_ the captain of the Third Unit - looking like drowned rats. In fact, it had been rather amusing...)

"You're all thieves," he declared, looking between the two groups and Misao as he re-sheathed the sakabatō, "and _she's_ a thief for stealing from _you_." _Just another moment..._ "What say you I call it even, and punish _both_ sides?"

With that, he leapt upward, aiming for the bank of the river, and the combination of the force used for his jump and the strike he'd made on the bridge caused it to break, dumping Misao and the entire contingent of thugs into the river.

He waited on the riverbank until Misao managed to drag herself out, feeling somewhat responsible for her in spite of himself. Well, responsible enough to make sure that she didn't get killed by the bandits and their yakuza friends, at least.

"You may not _look_ like much, but you got it where it _counts_!" she muttered, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the night sky.

"I've defended my share of riverbanks," Kenshin replied, giving her a hand to help her sit up. "And dropping a bridge is easy when the opponents put all their weight in the middle."

"That's great," Misao commented. "_Almost_ as great as the folks who raised me!"

"'Almost', huh?" Kenshin asked, a hint of a smile crossing his face as he turned away. It was amazing how much dumping people who were irritating him in a river could improve his mood. Or maybe it was just the memory of how Saitō had looked that time...

"Yeah," Misao replied, her tone bright. "During the Bakumatsu they defended the royal Edo Castle from the shadows."

Kenshin froze, turning his head to stare at her in shock. _The __Oniwabanshū__?_

"I wonder what they're doing now," she continued thoughtfully, "Aoshi-sama and the Oniwabanshū _onmitsu_..."

Kenshin felt his eyes widen as a completely unexpected shiver of apprehension ran through him at the sound of Aoshi's name. "Shinomori Aoshi?" he murmured, half-disbelieving. It would, at least, explain the fact that Misao had followed rumours... and how she'd received her _shinobi_ training...

"You know him?" the girl blurted out, and Kenshin blinked as he realized he'd spoken Aoshi's name out loud. _This __isn't__ good..._ "Where are they all now? Tell me! Are they alive?"

_Chikusho!_ Kenshin thought desperately, as he stared at Misao for a long moment. He'd already gotten an idea of how determined she could be when her mind was set on something, based on her behaviour over the money... but trying to explain to her what had happened to the Oniwabanshū without explaining who he was, or the fact that Aoshi was determined to kill him for the title of 'Strongest', would be exceedingly difficult.

And he definitely didn't want to tell her either of those facts.

"You _have_ to tell me!" she exclaimed, bouncing to her feet; she looked quite energetic for someone who had been half-drowned only a few minutes ago. "Where are they?"

_Now what?_ Kenshin wondered, his sense of desperation increasing at the eager look on Misao's face. _How do I get her off the track... without actually lying to her?_

It took a moment to figure out an answer.

_Of course... She even __said__ that she was following rumours..._ "I don't know," he replied, widening his eyes in an expression of innocence. While Misao probably wouldn't be quite as taken in by the mask of the rurouni as his friends in Tokyo were, given that he'd already shown her a harder side of himself, the appearance of innocence could still carry _some_ weight. "I had heard Shinomori-san's name about a month or so ago, but as far as I am aware, he left Tokyo soon after. I have no idea where it was he went."

It was even the complete truth... as far as it went.

The girl sighed heavily, her shoulders drooping in dismay. "I already _knew_ that!" she protested.

Kenshin shrugged. "That is what I heard." Again, the truth; though what it implied was quite a different matter. Then he glanced toward the rest of the riverbank, where some of the yakuza who had accosted them had managed to pull themselves onto dry land.

"I don't think it would be wise for us to remain here," he continued. _I would prefer not to risk having her with me at all - there is too much of a chance that accompanying me, she might be spotted by one of Shishio's men - but I can't leave her here by herself. She doesn't know half as much as she believes she does... just enough to possibly lead her into danger she won't be able to handle._ "If you wish, you may come with me to Hakone, and contact your 'old man' from there."

"Okay," Misao said brightly; then grabbed his arm - thank the _kami_ she had made the move obvious enough for him to control the instinct to toss her away - and pulled him toward the main road as some of the half-drowned yakuza began to stir. Kenshin didn't argue, not wanting to be standing around when the thugs recovered enough to begin thinking about what had just happened.

* * *

**Glossary**

_shinobi_: Spy. A more specific term than _ninja_, which actually meant anyone who was a bandit, thief, or spy.

_Tōkaidō Facts_: Despite what Saitō says in the manga about it only taking ten days to walk along the Tōkaidō from Tokyo to Kyoto, the average person took twelve days. (Information from Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai by Don Cunningham.)


	11. C3P2: AN Morons and Okashira

Author's Note #1: Had a wonderful holiday in Costa Rica; arrived back in Toronto last night. So here you go - the latest part! Enjoy!

Author's Note #2: Please note that this is the _only_ part I'm writing concerning the journeys of any of the Kenshin-gumi to Kyoto, because there are no differences between their trips in manga canon and in this story. The differences for them begin _in_ Kyoto, when they meet back up with Kenshin. I'm including this bit, however, because Saitō had a few things to say about Sanosuke and Aoshi.

Author's Note #3: I'm basing Saitō and Aoshi's meeting more on the anime than the manga, mainly because I can't imagine that Aoshi, being the Okashira, has no idea of who "Fujita Gorō" really is.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C3P1 (tenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Makimachi Misao - Tōkaidō and Shingetsu**

_Part 2: Assorted Nuisances - Morons and Okashira_

Saitō Hajime had been in a bad mood Tuesday night. By Thursday, that 'bad mood' had been elevated to a towering fury. He had hoped to be on his way to Shingetsu village by yesterday afternoon at the latest, but the police force was _still_ in a state of confusion in the aftermath of Ōkubo's assassination.

It was ridiculous.

There were very few members of the police force - only himself and about two or three others - who had looked directly to Ōkubo-kyo for instructions. As Superintendent-General, Kawaji commanded the rest, and despite his own uncertainty over how to react to the situation, Kawaji was doing a more than adequate job. However, that didn't seem to matter to everyone else.

And to make matters worse, Kawaji had decided that since Battōsai _had_ agreed to deal with Shishio, they were obligated to keep their end of the bargain, and take care of his friends. Not that Saitō objected to that on principle - in fact, he was pleased that Kawaji _was_ keeping the bargain they'd offered the hitokiri - but the Superintendent-General had decided to assign _him_ to keep an eye on the group today, since things still hadn't been settled enough to allow him to leave for Kyoto.

It really was no wonder he was in the mood to kill someone; preferably Shishio, though some of his men would do for now...

_...Or, as Shishio's men seem to be currently unavailable,_ Saitō thought, darkly amused by the direction of his own thoughts, as he trailed a quite furious-looking Myōjin Yahiko through some of the poorer areas of Tokyo, _then perhaps the opportunity to deal with Sagara might do almost as much for my mood..._

The brat had stormed out of the Kamiya dojo almost half an hour ago, and after following him to the Akabeko, a beef-pot restaurant that Battōsai and his friends tended to frequent, Saitō had discovered that the Kamiya girl was being an idiot, and Myōjin was looking for Sagara - presumably to try to get some sense beaten into her.

Myōjin finally came to a stop in front of a house with the name 'Tsukioka' on the door - Sagara's fellow Sekihō-tai survivor, Saitō recalled, leaning against the wall of one of the houses on the opposite side of the street and crossing his arms. The brat hadn't even realized he'd been followed; hard to believe he had been working for a yakuza before Battōsai had taken him in.

The door of Tsukioka's house slid open, and Sagara started out, only to bump right into Myōjin, who'd been getting ready to walk in. Saitō's eyes narrowed as he noticed the pack slung over Sagara's shoulder.

_So... the moron plans to go to Kyoto, does he?_ It was the obvious destination, of course, Saitō mused, as the two youngsters shouted at each other; but Sagara's presence in Kyoto would only be a nuisance, and a distraction to Battōsai. A distraction that could result in their failure.

Abruptly Sagara's _ki_ flared with hostility, and Saitō hid a dark smile as the moron finally realized...

"Yahiko, you... you've been _followed_."

_Time to see if the moron has learned his lesson._ "Where do you plan on going?" Saitō asked coldly.

"To Kyoto, of course," Sagara responded, his tone brash. "Got a problem?"

_Of course. Idiot. Didn't he learn __anything__ from the battles Battōsai has fought since arriving here?_ "Yes. It worries me, having a _weakling_ involved."

"What?" Sagara blurted.

Saitō pushed himself away from the wall and took a step forward, projecting a menace that should help engrave his words on Sagara's mind. "The essence of combat is to strike at the vulnerabilities of one's opponent," he explained calmly. "If you go to Kyoto, Battōsai will feel he _has_ to protect you. You will give Shishio a place to strike." He took another step forward. "Why do you think he went alone?" Raising one hand, he pointed directly at the two of them, Sagara and Myōjin.

"To Battōsai, your existence is nothing but a vulnerability. I took on the role of Jin-e and attacked you in order to drive that point home. Go to Kyoto, and it was for nothing." Saitō glared at them. "Don't ruin this by following. Stay put in Tokyo."

Myōjin looked upset, but Saitō couldn't care less. Better to have the brat be upset than provide the means for Shishio to triumph over Battōsai.

"I see," Sagara muttered slowly. "To Kenshin, I'm a liability... and that's why he left on his own."

Abruptly, he exploded. "Good to know!" he yelled, _ki_ radiating fury. "Now I'm _really_ going to belt him!" He stalked forward. "Move, Saitō! If you don't move, I'll _make_ you!"

_Moron._ "No," Saitō said calmly. It was definitely time to teach this idiot the lesson he'd obviously refused to learn from their first encounter. "You will not."

He wasn't in the least bit surprised when Sagara drew back his fist for a punch, both the movement and his _ki_ telegraphing exactly what he was going to do before he did it. Saitō simply moved out of the way - and then, while Sagara's arm was still extended and he was vulnerable, the Shinsengumi grabbed his sleeve, keeping him in that position.

He'd been right - the moron hadn't the slightest idea of how to defend himself, only attack.

With a contemptuous snort, Saitō threw a punch of his own - hitting Sagara on the shoulder, just underneath where he'd struck with _Gatotsu_ a week and a half ago.

"No fair!" the Myōjin boy protested loudly. "His wound hasn't _healed_ yet!"

Saitō ignored the yell, as he lifted Sagara into the air and flung him back down on the ground. Then, to finish getting his point across, he stepped forward, and dug the heel of his boot into the same place he'd just punched.

Ignoring the spurt of blood that followed, he turned to look at Myōjin. "I told you," he said coldly. "The essence of combat is to strike the vulnerabilities of one's opponent. There _is_ no 'fair' or 'unfair'." He took a step forward. "Kenshin," he continued, pointedly using the name Myōjin had told him to call Battōsai last week, "doesn't go to a _dojo duel_ in Kyoto. He goes to a _death match_. This is not for you. Stay here in Tokyo."

"_Never!_" the brat yelled, grabbing his shinai.

This was even more ridiculous than the current situation among the police. Did the boy _really_ think he could do anything to harm Saitō? Well, a punch or two would take care of that. Battōsai would undoubtedly be quite irritated with him, but Saitō didn't think he'd protest too much, considering how much trouble he'd gone to in order to make sure they remained safe.

Then a sense of movement behind him was followed by Sagara's voice saying, "No pain here."

Turning to look, Saitō was momentarily surprised to see the moron on his feet, before he remembered the resilience Sagara had demonstrated last time.

"Pain takes _time_," Sagara continued, his voice harsh. "This wound might hurt," his hand clenched into a fist, and Saitō felt the hostility in his _ki_ rise again, "but that pain's _nothing_ compared to knowing that Kenshin thinks of me as _weak_!" He struck.

It was quite a powerful punch - more powerful, despite his wounded shoulder, than the one he'd attacked Saitō with at the dojo, pushing him backward. Nonetheless, it did no damage, thanks to the fact that it had been easily blocked.

"So, _outta my way_, Saitō!" Sagara continued. "I'm going to Kyoto! I'll show Kenshin what a 'weakness' I am... I'll show him with my _fists_!"

_He's worse than the most foolish student at the university,_ Saitō thought in irritation, rubbing his wrist where Sagara's fist had impacted. _Not listening to any advice, just blindly following his rage, no matter where it takes him, or what danger it places everyone else in._ Time to get truly serious.

"Then you seal his fate." He faced Sagara across the narrow alley, expression cold and contemptuous. "'Show him with your fists', did you say?" _As if Battōsai will simply __let__ you hit him..._

"You heard me!" Sagara yelled.

"You live in dreams." Saitō let the contempt in his expression leak into his voice. "Remember how easily I beat you?"

"_What?_" Sagara shouted, the fury that radiated from him increasing.

Saitō unbuckled the strap that held his katana to his belt, turned, and placed the sword safely against the wall. Then he turned back to Sagara. "I won't let you use the _choice of weapons_ as an excuse this time," he informed the moron coolly. "This time, we'll fight _your_ way... with _fists_."

"Don't trust him, Sanosuke!" the Myōjin brat yelled. "He's so dirty, he'll probably start _kicking_ you!"

"Hmph," Saitō snorted, looking down at the brat. "You really don't like me, do you." _Not that I'm terribly impressed by him, either..._

"Well, _duh_!"

"You have my word," the Shinsengumi stated, tugging his gloves straight. "Fists only. No matter how stupid this chicken-head may be, if he's crushed at his own style of combat, eventually he'll accept his own worth..." he smiled coldly, "...or lack of it."

"Then try it!" Sagara snapped, clearly confident that he would win. "_Here!_" He lunged forward with a yell, drawing his fist back.

"A full swing after lunging," Saitō commented, unimpressed, as he waited. "A _fool's_ only trick." Bringing his arm up, he blocked the blow; then felt a flicker of surprise as Sagara followed up with a further series of punches. _Perhaps..._

"We'll just see who's the fool, here!" Sagara snapped, as his punches sped up.

_Not bad,_ Saitō reflected, _...for a hatchling._

"With a sword, you can parry and go _straight_ to the attack," Sagara continued confidently, "but you can't do _anything_ when you block a fist! If I attack constantly, you can't counter... and if you can't _counter_, eventually I beat you down!"

_Well, his __blows__ aren't bad,_ Saitō thought, continuing to block the attacks easily. _His boasting, however - that is simply ridiculous._

"Though I've gotta admit, just throwing out the odd punch _is_ kinda embarrassing," the moron muttered, as he finished his attack - clearly expecting Saitō to fall.

"Huh," Saitō snorted, as he glanced at his arms. He was going to have to get a new uniform jacket - the power Sagara had put behind his blows had managed to shred the sleeves when he blocked. However... He smirked as he looked back at the moron and their audience. "And if you _never_ land a blow?" _Time to teach the moron his lesson..._ Stepping forward, he raised his arms again. "You _are_ amusing," he commented tauntingly... and then launched his own flurry of blows.

However, just as he'd expected, Sagara had _no_ idea how to defend himself from the attack. It was ridiculously easy, no challenge at all - rather disappointing, in fact, Saitō reflected, as he flung a final punch at Sagara's chin, raising him up in the air and tossing him across the street.

"You get it now?" he questioned coldly, stepping forward to stand over the moron. "You cannot approach either me or Battōsai in ability or experience. You are a _hatchling_ - lively and laughable."

"Shut up!" Sagara snapped. "I don't care!"

Saitō's eyes narrowed as the younger man stood up.

"I'm going to Kyoto, no matter _who_ tells me not to."

_Imbecile,_ Saitō thought scornfully, as he watched Sagara wobble. _You are determined to endanger us all simply because you cannot bear the fact that you are weaker than us..._ "That blow to your chin seems to have affected your brain," he said, his tone still cold, and slid into his _Gatotsu_ stance. Nothing else seemed to have impacted the moron's stubbornness; with luck, _this_ would. "You will _not_ go to Kyoto."

"Hey!" the Myōjin boy shouted abruptly - he obviously recognized the stance. "Dodge it, Sanosuke! That'll take you down!"

Well, perhaps the brat wasn't as idiotic as Sagara after all. Not _quite_ as idiotic, at least... "He can't. He's barely standing as it is. No matter how hard you fight," Saitō commented coolly, as he began to move, "you're _still_ a hatchling.

"Nothing more!" he added, as he brought his arm forward to punch Sagara's face.

However, Sagara managed to surprise him, stopping Saitō's fist just before it hit his face. "Your point being?" the moron demanded, as he held Saitō's arm with his fists on either side.

"How's that?" he continued, obviously proud of himself. "Looks like even a _hatchling_ can still break an arm, huh?"

_He thinks he's broken my arm?_ The belief Saitō had felt, that Sagara had _finally_ learned the lesson, disappeared immediately. "You-"

"You keep calling me 'hatchling'," Sagara interrupted him. "So what are _you_? I don't care how much experience you have. Neither you nor Kenshin was this strong to start with."

_No, but that does not change the fact that we had the sense to know how to defend ourselves,_ Saitō thought, the contempt he'd felt for Sagara earlier coming back full force.

"Ten years ago, you were just a killer yourself," the moron continued. "Now you're powerful enough to influence the direction of the government. Even a 'hatchling' can get in a peck or two."

Saitō gave a snort of contempt, and then used his right hand to punch Sagara across the face. This was getting them nowhere; it was obvious that the moron had no intentions of listening at all. If Sagara wanted to get killed by Shishio's men, he was more than welcome to it. Saitō certainly had better things to do with his time than pursue an effort that was already proven useless; he had to make arrangements for his own journey to Kyoto, after all.

"You-" Sagara started, as he recovered from the blow.

"Enough," Saitō said, turning his back and starting away. He'd attempt once more to make Sagara understand, out of the respect he owed Battōsai, but that would be all. "I can't waste my time with a fool who can't hear the _truth_, even after all this. If you want to go to Kyoto, go ahead.

"Go, hurry up and get killed."

"Hey!" Sagara protested loudly from behind him.

Saitō turned his head slightly to look at the group of three sidelong. _You __will__ owe me for this, Battōsai..._ "A fool who relies so much on his own _toughness_ that he learns nothing of _defense_," Saitō said pointedly, "also has nothing to _rely_ on."

With that, he returned his attention to the road ahead of him and continued forward. He was going to make _certain_ that things were in order _now_, so that he could leave by tonight. Mishima Ei'ichirō had been on his own for three days, and Saitō had a rather unpleasant feeling about that situation; he wanted to get to Shingetsu as quickly as possible.

* * *

It was the middle of the afternoon when someone walked, without knocking, straight into the office assigned to Fujita Gorō. Saitō looked up from the papers he'd been going through, ready to express his displeasure at the rudeness... but stopped himself as soon as he saw who it was.

Watanabe Hoshiro was one of the agents he'd set to keeping an eye out for the Oniwabanshū okashira Shinomori Aoshi. Saitō's eyes narrowed in anticipation. "Shinomori has surfaced?"

"Yes, Fujita-san," Watanabe replied, closing the door behind him. "He was spotted heading for the Kamiya dojo."

Saitō felt a dark smile cross his face. "Excellent. Thank you, Watanabe." So, Shinomori was still obsessed with the thought of defeating Battōsai, was he?

Not that the idea of defeating Battōsai was an unpleasant one, Saitō admitted to himself as he stood up; after all, it was something of a dream of his as well... but he had never made it an obsession, and never intended to. During the Bakumatsu, that would have got him killed; and even now, when Battōsai went to great lengths to avoid killing, it was still a dangerous conceit. Besides, defeating Battōsai would be wonderful... but the main enjoyment for him had always been the challenge that the hitokiri presented to his own sword skill, rather than the actual anticipation of winning.

Luckily, Kamiya and Myōjin had left shortly before noon (though he _still_ wasn't pleased about the fact that they all seemed to be going to Kyoto - it was going to make dealing with Shishio a great deal more problematic for Battōsai), so there should be no one at the dojo at the moment. Better he had the chance to speak to Shinomori with no one there to witness their conversation.

Standing up, he walked out of his office, followed by Watanabe. After informing the assistant Kawaji had assigned him that he would be gone for no more than about two hours, he headed out of the building.

Saitō stopped just outside the gate and instructed Watanabe to go and get some dinner, then relieve Mamoto, who was keeping an eye on the Ogura Clinic. Then he turned and started toward the Kamiya dojo.

* * *

The main gate of the dojo was unlocked and open, something that seemed rather out of character for a man as careful as Shinomori Aoshi. And as Saitō reached the gate, he could hear the sound of voices talking.

"Where is Battōsai?" came a cool male voice - undoubtedly Shinomori. "Answer me."

There was no threat in his tone, Saitō thought, as he walked in through the gate, but that didn't mean the threat wasn't there. Battōsai's tone had never been directly threatening in Kyoto, but no one who had faced him had ever thought that he was anything _but_ deadly.

"I... I don't know," came another voice, in protest - the doctor, Takani Megumi.

Well, that explained part of the reason Shinomori's voice was calm; he had no need to make his threat obvious, given that he had been the one holding Takani captive for Takeda. She would _know_ how dangerous he could be. Or at least have a reasonable idea.

Saitō closed quietly the gate behind him, and walked forward, spotting Takani kneeling in the doorway of the dojo. Shinomori was inside, a dim form against the darkness of the interior.

"If you don't answer," Shinomori continued calmly, "I will kill you."

From what Saitō could see, Takani appeared to be frozen. Typical. However, he'd had a chance to think about things on the walk to the dojo, and there was a possibility that Shinomori's presence in Kyoto might serve to distract Shishio; which meant it would be best to let the okashira know at least some of the details of what was occurring.

"Battōsai has gone to Kyoto," he declared, walking forward.

Shinomori stood up, staring at him. "You are-"

"-Fujita Gorō," Saitō replied easily. "Just a policeman, as you can see."

"Saitō Hajime," Shinomori countered, "captain of the Third Unit of the Shinsengumi."

Saitō inclined his head slightly. "And you are Shinomori Aoshi, Okashira of the Oniwabanshū."

There was a flicker of anger in Shinomori's eyes, and Saitō couldn't help but feel a bit smug. "Don't look so angry," he said coolly. "I'm about to tell you what's been happening while you were in those mountains."

Shinomori's eyes narrowed, most likely at the indication that Saitō had been having him watched - successfully - and replied, "All right. Start talking."

Saitō laid out the basics of the situation with Shishio rapidly, giving Shinomori a quick overview without focusing too heavily on the details; the okashira was an intelligent man, and would no doubt be able to work most of them out himself. Shinomori listened carefully, his expression neutral throughout the explanation.

Finally, when Saitō finished, Shinomori frowned slightly and repeated, his tone sceptical, "Shishio Makoto?"

Saitō shrugged carelessly. "To believe it or not is up to you," he replied. "But Battōsai's going to Kyoto is a _fact_."

"I see," Shinomori said slowly. Then, in a more decisive tone, he added, "Then I will return when Battōsai comes back," and started walking toward the dojo gate.

"He may fall to Shishio and never _come_ back," Saitō pointed out calmly as the okashira passed him. Not that he truly believed that would happen - even with those idiots on their way to Kyoto, he was confident that Battōsai could deal with the renegade hitokiri - but the fact remained that all possibilities had to be considered.

"That is impossible." Shinomori shot Saitō a glance over his shoulder. "_I_ am the only one who can kill Battōsai."

"Such confidence," Saitō remarked coolly, watching the okashira walk away. His gaze fell on the unusual _saya_ Shinomori carried, and he eyed it speculatively. "Still," he mused out loud, his tone becoming thoughtful as he considered the possible meanings of the overly-long sheath, given that he knew Shinomori favoured the kodachi, "I would not call it over-confidence..."

"What did you tell him all that for?" Takani yelled from behind him. "You're going to get Ken-san _killed_!"

_Such ingratitude,_ Saitō thought sardonically, looking back at her. "Now, now... If I hadn't told him, he would have killed _you_," he pointed out. "A man doesn't become head of the _Oniwabanshū_ at the age of _fifteen_ without true greatness." _Just as a boy doesn't become an infamous hitokiri at less than fourteen without even more skill..._ "I can _use_ a man that skilled."

Takani blinked, and then glared at him furiously.

Saitō ignored her, turning away to follow Shinomori out. He still had paperwork that needed to be finished before he could leave for Kyoto, and he was already starting to run behind on his schedule. He'd done his part in ensuring that Shinomori would have no reason to kill Takani; now it was time to make certain that he was able to leave tonight. The uneasy feeling he'd been having based on Mishima's letter had only become worse over the past few hours, and the sooner he reached Shingetsu, the better.


	12. C3P3: AN Soldiers and Villagers

Author's Note #1: My apologies for the delay in getting this out; I'm afraid the weekend was... weird. In a "I'm getting two to four hours of sleep at a time, and sleeping twice or three times a day" type of way...

Author's Note #2: More AU-ness! (g) And more insight into both Kenshin and Saitō...

Author's Note #3: Hints of an additional sub-plot starting here... (EG) Anyone have any guesses as to what?

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C3P1 (tenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Makimachi Misao - Tōkaidō and Shingetsu**

_Part 3: Assorted Nuisances - Soldiers and Villagers_

Despite the fact that Friday morning dawned clear and beautiful, Himura Kenshin was _not_ in the most pleasant of moods.

He'd spent most of yesterday listening to Misao go on and on about her childhood with the Oniwabanshū; which, while he had no objection to the fact that it kept her occupied and prevented her from questioning him too much in turn, got rather monotonous after a while. Or perhaps 'exasperating' was the more appropriate term, given that she did intersperse her stories with questions about whether he was sure that he hadn't heard anything else about 'Aoshi-sama' and the Oniwabanshū. She'd even finally managed to nag him into telling her his name...

It had reached the point, shortly before they'd arrived in Hakone, that Kenshin was seriously debating whether he should let her know about the deaths of the four _onmitsu_ simply to get her off his back.

He'd chosen not to broach the issue then, deciding that he could always see about finding 'the old man' in Kyoto after dealing with Shishio. Once they'd reached Hakone, he'd given her instructions to contact her guardian by the next morning to arrange for an escort the rest of the way, and had left her there.

Three hours later, as the sun was setting, Kenshin had sensed the approach of a bright, enthusiastic _ki_ - Misao's. He had _not_ been amused, but it had been too late at that point to send her back to the town. So he'd reluctantly let her share his fire last night, with plans to send her back in the morning.

So far, however, he'd had no luck. Misao had informed him quite firmly that if he sent her back, she'd simply continue following him at a distance. He'd tried to lose her by slipping into the forest and running, but she'd managed to stay on his trail; and he hadn't wanted to run as fast as he could, given that there was still the possibility of an attack by Shishio and he had no desire to waste energy that might be needed to deal with that. He had then tried explaining to her that he was liable to be attacked at any time, but even that hadn't worked to discourage her; though Kenshin wasn't sure whether that was because she was confident she could handle any enemies that might attack, or because she didn't believe him.

Either way, he was _not_ happy about this. Not only was Misao placing herself in danger by coming with him, but Kenshin had been expecting one of Shishio's people to make a move at any time during the past two days, and the fact that nothing had happened so far was proving to be rather unsettling. Not that Kenshin _wanted_ to be attacked; but in some cases, the anticipation was definitely worse than the actual event, and this was one of those times.

"Himura," Misao said from behind him, sounding rather impatient.

"Yes?" Kenshin demanded, his tone just shy of dangerous - he was in that sort of mood at the moment. Not only was Misao still following him, but his attempt to lose her in the forest had only resulted in them getting off the Tōkaidō and badly off-track, and it was taking longer than he'd anticipated to get back to the road.

"It's already noon," the girl declared. "Let's eat soon."

Kenshin gritted his teeth, but managed to keep himself from turning around to glare at her. "You can eat if you wish," he stated. "I-" He broke off abruptly, tilting his head to one side as a faint noise echoed through the forest.

"Himura, I just heard a sound-" Misao started.

"Shh!" he hissed, glaring at her. _Did they teach her __nothing__ of the need for __silence__? I would have thought better of Aoshi and the Oniwabanshū..._

Was this the ambush he'd been anticipating? "Step away - now! - as _quietly_ as you can," Kenshin ordered. His eyes scanned the area as he reached out with his _ki_-sense. He couldn't pick up any hint of danger... but he hadn't been able to sense the _ki_ of Ōkubo's assassin either.

"So you _weren't_ lying when you said someone's after you?" Misao asked, sounding more surprised than scared.

"Just _hurry_," Kenshin snapped. _Kuso!__ If they attack now, Misao __will__ be involved..._

_There's no choice._ Gripping his _saya_, Kenshin launched himself in the direction the sound had come from, using his full speed. _I will have to strike first!_

"Hold on a minute! I _am_ a member of the Oniwabanshū...!" he heard Misao shout from behind him, but he ignored her. Despite what she appeared to think, it was quite evident that she was _not_ fully trained; nor did she have any real, practical experience in dealing with those who were more skilled than she was, and this would be dange-

Kenshin's thought was abruptly cut off as the familiar coppery scent of blood filled the air. He immediately slowed down, though he did keep his hand on his _saya_, ready to draw his sword if there was need.

There wasn't. Not right now, at least.

Slumped against a tree, covered with more blood than Kenshin had seen from one person in over ten years, was a young man, perhaps a few years older than Misao. No one else was around; it appeared the man had managed to evade whoever had done this to him - for the moment. And shortly, it wouldn't matter; he was dying.

He heard Misao come up, but didn't look at her, keeping his attention on the young man.

Misao gasped in shock as soon as she saw the man. "Is he... dead?" she asked, her voice the quietest he had yet heard it.

"No..." Kenshin started. However, before she could give a sigh of relief, he added, "But it won't be long..." Kneeling down in front of the man, he asked gently, "Have you any last words?"

Behind him, he heard Misao gasp again, the sound one of horror this time as she got close enough to see the details of the damage.

Kenshin was too focused on the man to worry too much about her at the moment. He'd deal with her reactions _later_. "It seems you have a witness to your last moments," he continued, keeping his tone soft and as soothing as he could make it. "Allow me to do what I can."

"P-please..." the young man gasped, raising his head slightly to meet Kenshin's eyes. He lowered his arms, pulling his haori down to reveal an unconscious boy curled up against his chest. "My... brother, and village... save them... from Shishio..."

_Shishio?_ Kenshin's eyes widened in utter shock. He'd been expecting a move by Shishio... on _him_. He hadn't expected to encounter anyone else who had run into the other hitokiri...

"Please... save them... Save them from Shishio's men..." the man managed to gasp out.

Kenshin reached out and placed his hand over the man's. Quietly enough that he doubted Misao would be able to hear exactly what he said, he promised, "I will do all I can."

"T-thank... you..."

Amber flickered through Kenshin's eyes as the young man's head sank down against his chest. He was dead.

But the boy - his brother - wasn't.

* * *

"Curse them!" the boy yelled, staring at the grave it had taken Kenshin almost an hour to finish digging, tears flowing down his cheeks. "_Curse_ them!"

Kenshin leaned forward and patted the boy's shoulder. Much as he would prefer to allow the boy to have a chance to mourn, if he was going to deal with the situation that apparently prevailed in the village they had come from, he needed information. "Could you tell us what's going on?" he asked gently.

"What will telling a _stranger_ do about it?" the boy demanded, both his tone and his _ki_ half-furious, half-despairing.

Kenshin met the boy's glare, knowing his own eyes were still flecked with the amber of his own rage. "I am heading for Kyoto," he said, with complete honesty, having made the decision to give both the boy and Misao a general idea of what was happening while he was digging the grave, "to _confront_ Shishio."

Both of them stared at him with expressions of shock as he stood up; the boy's tears had even stopped.

The boy studied him carefully for a long moment, and then nodded slowly. "Two years ago, Shishio's henchman suddenly appeared," he started. "He killed the policeman stationed here, and took command of the village. When a new policeman came, he killed _him_.

"After two years, the policemen stopped coming, while more of _Shishio's_ men arrived. Shingetsu village was abandoned by the government."

"'Abandoned' is a strong word," Misao objected. "Maybe they're planning strategies."

_Like searching for a hitokiri who disappeared ten years ago and asking him to take care of the situation?_ Kenshin thought sardonically.

The boy turned his head to glare at her. "Then what's _this_?" he demanded, pulling a folded sheet of paper out of his _gi_ and brandishing it. Unfolding it, he slammed it down onto the ground. "It's the latest map - brought back by my brother from Tokyo!"

Kenshin's gaze, which had gone to the map, returned to the boy at those words. _'Brought back from Tokyo'? If Shishio's men have control of the village, why would his brother be going to Tokyo - much less coming back from there alone?_

"Look!" the boy continued, pointing to one section of the map. "Shingetsu village has been _erased_!"

Misao gasped out loud - again. Kenshin simply nodded, not surprised, but waiting for the rest of it. There was definitely more.

"My brother saw what was happening. He tried to get our _family_ out, at least..."

The boy's eyes went to the simple grave. "...And was killed for it..." he added slowly, "by the man who commands this village." He clenched his jaw, his _ki_ flaring with rage again. "A henchman of Shishio's; 'Senkaku', they call him."

He abruptly stood up. "I have to get back. My parents are still in the village. Now that my brother is... dead... I have to help them!"

Misao moved out of the way, her expression numb with shock, as the boy strode over to his brother's grave.

"Brother," he murmured, reaching out to grab the hilt of the damaged sword, "lend me your strength..." He started to pull it out of the ground.

Kenshin stepped forward, placing his hand over the hilt and preventing the boy from lifting it out. This was no battle for a child. "In your brother's place," he said firmly, though he kept his tone as gentle as he could manage, slipping for a moment into the mask of the rurouni as he tried to offer what comfort he could to the boy, "this one lends you his _own_ strength.

"Misao-san," he continued, looking back over at her and letting the mask fall away again, "please take care of this boy."

"What?" Misao blurted, snapped out of her shock by the order. "But I also wanna-"

"No," Kenshin declared flatly, eyes burning amber for just a moment before they shifted back to steel-blue. "I go to the village _alone_." _If I'm right about what I will find, I __don't__ want them there._ "Stay here and wait."

Releasing the sword, he turned to go in the direction the boy's brother had fled from.

"Wait a minute!" the boy called, before Kenshin had taken more than a few steps away. "Shishio... he comes to the village for about a week, once every half-year. I've no idea why; but _Senkaku_," his voice resonated with hate as he said the name, "occupies our village for that reason alone.

"Shishio is staying at the village _now_."

Kenshin didn't look back at either of them; simply said a quiet, "Thank you," and continued toward Shingetsu.

* * *

_So, Shishio is here at present, rather than in Kyoto,_ Kenshin reflected thoughtfully twenty minutes later, as he followed the trail down the slope into the village. _My first priority is to rescue the boy's parents; but once that has been taken care of, Shishio's presence may just provide an opportunity..._

It was very, _very_ unlikely that he'd actually manage to deal with Shishio here and now, but that didn't mean he couldn't acquire information that could help with his ultimate goal. And even if he could only deal with Senkaku - Kenshin's eyes gleamed amber at the thought - that would still remove at least one of Shishio's tools.

Walking out of the trees into the village proper, Kenshin frowned as he looked at the nearest houses. _There's been no upkeep, not for a long time,_ he thought, his frown deepening as he noticed more and more signs of neglect. _It is like a ghost town. Has it been this way since Senkaku first came, or has it only been since the police stopped coming that it became this bad?_

As he walked past the first set of houses, the wind changed direction; and Kenshin froze as the smell of blood came to him once again. A great deal of blood; the scent reminded him of the alleys of Kyoto during the worst of the Bakumatsu.

Turning in the direction the scent was coming from, for a long moment Kenshin could only stare in shocked disbelief at the sight that met his eyes: two bodies - most likely those of the boy's parents - strung up and hanging from a wooden frame.

_I expected them to be dead, but not that it would be this bad..._

Most of the time, Kenshin disliked the fact that he found it easy to be dispassionate when faced with violent death. It was an ability that had helped save his sanity during the Bakumatsu; but it was not 'normal' - it was the attitude of a killer. When faced with sights like this, however, he welcomed the sense of icy detachment that enabled him to think clearly even in the grip of rage.

_Lacerations all over the body... like that boy's brother. This must be the doing of Senkaku,_ he thought grimly, as he studied the scene in front of him. _They-_

Abruptly, he sensed the boy's _ki_, and Misao's, resonating with shock from somewhere nearby, just before a cry of, "_Dad! Mom!_" split the air.

Kenshin whirled around to see Misao and the boy standing at the end of the street, just in front of the bushes leading back into the forest. _I __told__ her to stay-_

More _ki_ surged near him, hostile and unfamiliar, and he heard the sound of many approaching footsteps. Kenshin didn't need to turn back around to know what now came toward him; it had to be the men Shishio and this Senkaku were using to control the village. Habit made him lower his face, hiding his eyes with his bangs, despite the fact that they were behind him.

"_You!_" said a voice from behind him. "You are not from here. Strangers will not be left alive!"

Kenshin was _not_ impressed.

"Why did you kill these people?" he asked, his tone quiet, but with an edge that Saitō would have recognized immediately.

"Their sons plotted to escape the village," the same voice - undoubtedly the leader of the group - stated. "They were executed by Lord Senkaku for that crime... although _we_ strung them up after." The man gave a short laugh, and Kenshin felt his eyes flare amber - and stay that way.

"So, you strung them up," the hitokiri said slowly, "as an example."

"Lord Shishio took this village from the swinish government!" the man shouted, and Kenshin crouched slightly, one hand gripping his _saya_ as he prepared for the attack he knew was coming. "Shishio-sama and Senkaku-sama hold the power of _life_ and _death_ here! And, by Senkaku-sama's orders, intruders must die!"

The massed _ki_ of the men flared, indicating they were about to charge.

"Prepare yourself!"

Kenshin turned his head slightly to watch them come as his right hand closed on the hilt of his sakabatō. "You," he said, his voice ice-cold, "should prepare _yourselves_."

The first rank had almost reached him... and Kenshin drew the sakabatō with the speed characteristic of Hiten Mitsurugi, sending the leader flying.

"Normally," he continued, his tone still cold as they froze in shock, "I would say, 'Step back if you don't want to be hurt.' This time, though, is different."

Kenshin could see - and sense - the fear rising in them as the men took in his stance, and the glow of his eyes. He gave them a sharp, predatory smile, and narrowed his eyes, knowing that it made him seem all the more terrifying.

"_This time_, every last one of you goes down!"

With that, he launched his own attack.

* * *

For a very long moment, all Misao could do was stare in utter disbelief as Himura swept through the group of soldiers, his sword moving faster than she could see.

She'd known almost from the moment he'd confronted her that Himura was not an ordinary swordsman. For one thing, he carried a real steel sword, two years after the sword-ban had been put in place. For another, the sword he carried was a reverse-blade sword - she'd managed to get a good look at it on the bridge at Odawara - which was just _weird_. _Why_ would anyone carry a sword like that? And then he'd been able to take the bag of money away from her (which she was still rather angry about), and make that leap up to the roof of the currency exchange... and destroy that bridge! When put all together, it made for a very _unusual_ swordsman indeed.

But she had _never_ expected he would be able to do something like this...

The sound of sobbing from next to her distracted Misao's attention from the fight, and she suddenly remembered the boy. And if those soldier guys noticed them here...

"Hey, get up!" she yelled, shaking him. "_Hey!_ I know it's hard, but this is _no_ time for mourning! Crying won't bring back the dead, so stand up!"

There was a sound from behind her, and Misao froze. _Was that a-_

"By Senkaku-sama's order, intruders must die!"

_It was... Kuso! We're in trouble!_

Grabbing the boy, Misao rolled them away as swiftly as she could, and rose to her knees facing the soldier who had come up behind her, throwing daggers in her hand. "You!" She glared at the man, raising her hand to throw.

"Intruders," the man repeated, pointing his spear at her and taking a threatening step forward, "must d-"

Before he could finish his statement, Misao found herself staring in shock as a sword burst through his mouth.

The man's body - for he was quite clearly dead - was tossed to one side, sliding off the sword with a sound that made Misao feel as though she were going to be sick. Slowly, she raised her eyes to see who had saved her...

...And found herself staring at a tall man dressed in the blue uniform of the police, whose hazel-gold eyes appeared scornful as he looked down at her. "Hmph." He sounded contemptuous, his tone matching his sneer, and Misao swallowed uneasily.

"Who... who are _you_?" she asked hesitantly. Was this Senkaku? _Although... if it is, why would he have killed one of his own men...?_

He continued to just _look_ at her for another moment, and then his gaze moved toward where Himura had been.

"I should have known..." Misao heard him mutter, and then he raised his voice enough to be easily heard over the sounds of battle. "Are you _quite_ finished playing? You're supposed to be going to Kyoto, not wasting your time around here!"

Misao blinked. _This policeman... knows Himura?_

Then her eyes widened as she remembered that Himura was in the middle of a fight, and she spun around to look...

And found herself once more staring in shock at the sight of Himura dealing with the very last man standing.

The entire group, aside from the man who had been about to attack her and the boy - which must have numbered around twenty or twenty-five men - were all lying on the ground, either unconscious or dead; Misao wasn't quite certain which, and wasn't entirely sure she _wanted_ to know. And Himura...

_He's not even out of breath!_ she thought in disbelief. How was that _possible_?

"So," the policeman said coolly, "why _are_ you wasting your time here?"

"Saitō," Himura said calmly, not bothering to answer the question as he sheathed his odd sword. He didn't look to be the slightest bit surprised at the policeman's presence, despite his next statement. "I had not expected to see you here."

"I _did_ tell you that there was something that required my attention before I would be able to arrive in Kyoto," the policeman declared, his tone equally calm, as he walked over to Himura, stepping over the bodies of the soldiers without appearing to notice them. "A report from one of my men said that Shishio is here. Since we have a little time before everyone gathers in Kyoto, I thought it would be a wise idea to come take a look.

"Unfortunately, he's nowhere to be found."

Himura suddenly looked over at the two of them, and Misao almost took a step back in fear as his eyes seemed to glow amber-gold. But a moment later they were blue again, and she decided it must have been a trick of the light, like when he'd told her to stay behind with the boy.

"Could that boy's brother have been the police agent?" Himura asked.

"Boy?" The policeman looked back toward the two of them as well, and Misao - realizing that the boy was now standing beside her (when had he stood up?) - put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Ah.

"Mishima Ei'ichirō was originally from Shingetsu village. I sent him thinking he wouldn't raise too much suspicion."

"He must have been found out," Himura remarked, his eyes focusing on the boy, a sympathetic expression crossing his face. "He tried to save his family at least, but-"

"A foolish young man," the policeman interrupted coolly. "He should have waited for my arrival."

_That_ got Misao angry. Clenching her hands into fists, she took a step forward. How dare this policeman be so contemptuous when the man's brother was standing right there? "Hey, you! Is that any way to talk about the dead?"

The policeman's expression didn't change; he simply looked at Misao, and then turned to Himura. "And who is this..." he glanced back at her for a moment, "_weasel_ girl? Are you picking up strays now?"

"_Why, you-_" Misao started to yell, getting her throwing daggers ready again, before Himura stepped between them.

"Enough," the swordsman said curtly. "Don't mind him, Misao-san. He's _trying_ to make you mad; he finds it entertaining, for some reason," he added, looking back at the policeman, who shrugged carelessly.

"Besides," Himura added, turning toward the wooden frame that held the bodies of the boy's parents, which made her feel even more sick to think about, "we've got to take them down and bury them."

Misao followed his gaze to see that the boy had moved away from her to stand over there, in front of the frame, and nodded in agreement. "True-" she started.

"_Stop!_"

Looking in the direction the voice had come from, Misao was surprised to see a large group of people - most likely the boy's fellow villagers, judging from their clothes - standing there, with an elderly man in front.

It was that man who spoke again. "You _can't_ take them down!"

_What?_

* * *

Saitō eyed the group of villagers coolly, not the slightest bit impressed - much less _intimidated_ - by the 'show of force'. He had a fairly clear idea of what they were going to say next, and a glance at Battōsai showed him that the hitokiri had the same thought he did.

"If we touch those bodies and anger Senkaku, the people of this village will suffer!" the village headman continued, and Saitō was disappointed to find that he had been right. "Until Senkaku permits it, leave them _alone_."

Saitō snorted in contempt. Even if the headman managed to convince Battōsai to do as he said, which was _exceedingly_ unlikely, the fact that they had dealt with all the soldiers who appeared to be posted here would earn this 'Senkaku's' anger whether they did anything more or not.

"What are you saying?" the girl Battōsai had picked up somewhere - he really was going to have to ask the hitokiri for details on that, considering his statements about going by way of the Tōkaidō to _avoid_ getting innocents involved - yelled. "They _are_ the 'people of this village'! Are you saying you'll obey this Senkaku even when he treats you like this?"

Well, if nothing else, the girl had enthusiasm, Saitō reflected, even as he looked over at Battōsai again. The hitokiri was just standing there, watching the confrontation with narrowed eyes.

Obviously feeling Saitō's eyes on him, Battōsai met his gaze for a long moment before letting his eyes flicker down to his still-drawn sakabatō, then over to the frame, where the boy was standing, and back to the confrontation, finally returning to Saitō. The message could not have been clearer had the hitokiri shouted it.

Saitō gave a slight tilt of his head in acknowledgement, then returned his own attention to the confrontation. Between the girl's ranting and the villagers' reactions, a distraction would be easy enough to create.

"If we oppose Senkaku, we're given death," the headman declared curtly, "while if we submit to him, we have life, at least."

Saitō sneered. It might be staying alive, but he would scarcely call that _'life'_. It was, rather, a matter of simply waiting longer to die.

"It's best for the village not to take matters any further. You strangers - and the Mishima family - must leave the village now." The headman looked over at the boy. "Eiji. Do you hear?"

"_You..._" the girl growled, starting to lunge forward... and Saitō made his move.

Grabbing the neck of her short _gi_, he said calmly, "Don't get angry." The girl turned her head to stare at him in disbelief, and Saitō smirked. "Few are willing to risk their lives to protect the pride and respect of other people." It was one of the things he respected most about Battōsai - other than his sword skill, of course.

His mouth tightened for a moment as Saitō remembered the discussion he'd overheard just before leaving for Shingetsu, concerning certain governmental plans for when Shishio was dealt with. Then he pushed the thought away in order to concentrate on the current situation. He'd find _some_ way to let Battōsai know about it later.

He turned his gaze on the villagers, pulling their attention to him. Letting the contempt he felt for their cowardice show in his expression, Saitō continued, "Most are content to live like livestock. They need neither pride, nor respect."

As he'd anticipated, that got a reaction out of the crowd, prompting protests and accusations against the police. No one was looking at the frame where the bodies were hung now; and out of the corner of his eye, Saitō saw Battōsai start to drift backwards.

Once again, the village headman took control of his people. _Strong-willed - but only in __some__ cases. The ones he feels certain he can win,_ Saitō reflected, his contempt increasing.

"We won't allow you to take down the bodies! Now hurry and get out of here!"

Into the silence that followed, the sound of Battōsai's final footstep seemed as loud as a rifle shot. Eyes flickering to the hitokiri, Saitō realized that the noise had definitely been on purpose. He might not have shown the skill very often during his recent life in Tokyo, but Battōsai _knew_ how to use drama to control a crowd.

"Himura?" the girl asked.

Without a word, Battōsai slashed through the ropes holding the bodies up, his silence after all the blustering underscoring the deliberateness of his action.

"All right, Himura!" the girl cheered.

At the same time, the villagers looked horrified; one of them - _not_ the headman, who appeared to have be stunned into silence - blurted, "Wh-what are you _doing_?"

Battōsai turned his head slightly, glaring at the man who had spoken, and Saitō wasn't surprised to see that his eyes were a narrowed amber. The man took a step backward, his face paling in fear, as Battōsai turned from the bodies and walked back toward Saitō, slipping his sakabatō back into its sheath. None of them made any move to stop him; not that they could have, but it was yet another indication of just how far these people had fallen that they did not even try.

"So," Saitō remarked out loud, as Battōsai stopped next to him, still facing away from the crowd. "This is what this village has become." It was a far cry from what Governor Yamayoshi had told them of Ōkubo's dreams for the nation. He glanced down at the hitokiri.

Battōsai met his gaze, steel-blue eyes holding the same distaste Saitō felt, before glancing back at the villagers. "And this is to be the future of Japan, in the _new age_ Shishio brings," the hitokiri concluded, his tone grim.

His attention returning to the crowd, Saitō watched as they broke up, turning away to go back to hiding in their ill-kept huts. Only a few bothered to even throw accusations at them. His mouth tightened as he nodded in agreement. "People governed by violence and fear... their one hope simply to live, forgetting what life is _for_," he added. It was _not_ a pleasant thought.

The two of them stood together, watching until the villagers had all gone. Then Battōsai said quietly, "Saitō... did the government really abandon this village?"

"Not just this one," Saitō replied, his own tone grim. "_Ten_ villages have been abandoned to Shishio already." He had been horrified when Ōkubo had first told him that; and even now, he still felt anger at the cowardice of the members of the Meiji government who hadn't dealt decisively with Shishio earlier, before he became such a large problem. "The police no longer even _pretend_ at recapturing them."

"But why don't you call in the army if the police can't do it?" the girl said abruptly from behind them.

Saitō turned his head to look at her. "Fool," he said curtly. Battōsai took a step forward, and then stopped, evidently deciding not to intervene. "It's only been _half a year_ since the Seinan War. If the army has to neutralize an internal squabble again, it will only make Japan's instability obvious to foreign powers."

"What kind of dumb reason is that?" the girl yelled.

* * *

Kenshin winced slightly at Misao's reaction. He was surprised - and slightly worried, truth to tell - when Saitō didn't respond with a cutting remark about her ignorance, but rather changed the topic slightly. He was upset by the reactions of the villagers, and it was obvious that Saitō wasn't happy about them either; but had they upset the Miburō so much that he wasn't even responding with his normal sarcasm? Or... Kenshin's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Look, suppose the army _would_ help us," Saitō stated coolly. "The politicians could never approve it."

_Of course not,_ Kenshin thought grimly, all too aware of the reasons.

"_Why?_" Misao demanded.

"Because every one of them is afraid to follow the example of Ōkubo," Saitō responded. "True, the army could retake the villages, but anyone who approved the action would pay. The difficulty of preventing assassinations within the government..." He glanced at Kenshin. "Well, you know about _that_."

Misao looked curious, but Kenshin ignored her as Saitō continued. "Government leaders are, in the end, human. They save _themselves_... and they wait for _someone else_ to solve the problem."

Saitō sounded... rather more irritated than he usually did, despite his lack of cutting remarks, and Kenshin found himself wondering why. Was it just because of the reactions of the villagers, and his general dislike of politicians, or was there more to it?

"Who _is_ this 'someone else'?" Misao was yelling, her _ki_ blazing with righteous fury. "Who is it that's going to _save_ this village? Who is..." her voice faltered for a moment, then strengthened again. "Who is going to _avenge_ this boy's sorrows?" She gestured toward where the boy - Eiji - stood, his attention still focused on the bodies of his parents.

Saitō looked around the village, slipping his hands into his pockets, and then shrugged. "The village, the police, the army, the government... all of them will do exactly as Shishio Makoto pleases." The statement was cool.

Then he looked directly at Kenshin, meeting his eyes, as his _ki_ flared with anticipation of battle - and something else. Something that Kenshin had last felt during the confrontation in the dojo, when their words had only scratched the surface of what they were truly saying to each other. "That is why, now, hitokiri and Shinsengumi _both_ are needed."


	13. C3P4: AN Seta Soujirou and Senkaku

Author's Note #1: Had a wonderful weekend this past week (admittedly, it being my birthday Friday helped), and so, here we go - a little early!

Author's Note #2: A bit more of a hint in here regarding the additional (completely AU) sub-plot that started in Chp. 3.3...

Author's Note #3: Check out my haiku **Wolf and Dragon**, written while working on this chapter...

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C3P1 (tenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Makimachi Misao - Tōkaidō and Shingetsu**

_Part 3: Assorted Nuisances - Seta Sōjirō and Senkaku_

Misao watched in confusion as the two men locked gazes for a long moment, not understanding what the policeman - Saitō - meant by his mention of hitokiri and Shinsengumi. Those were terms from the Bakumatsu: the assassins used by the Ishin Shishi, and one of the groups of samurai who had claimed to be keeping order in Kyoto, as far as she could recall. She had no idea what they had to do with what was going on here.

Then the policeman continued, "We know the location of Shishio's lair. We know what we must do."

"Yes," Himura replied simply, gripping the sheath of his sword.

They started to turn away, and Misao stared for a moment before racing after them. "Wait! I'm coming too!"

"No," the policeman said flatly. "You stay here."

She was _not_ going to take that. Aoshi-sama and Han'nya had trained her to be _kunoichi_; she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, _and_ of helping Himura and this policeman deal with the man who had done this to the village. "Never!" she exclaimed, glaring at them both. First Himura had tried to make her stay back in the forest with the boy, and now this policeman thought he could keep her from doing what she could to help them? "How can I forgive anyone who does _this_?" She pointed back toward the frame and the bodies of Eiji's parents.

"Misao-san," Himura said quietly.

"What?" Misao demanded, pulling out her throwing daggers and focusing her glare on him. "I don't care _what_ you say, I-"

"Could you please stay by Eiji's side?"

Misao froze for a moment, and then sighed, her shoulders slumping. Himura _would_ have to put it like that...

Looking back toward the boy, she had to admit that it was obvious _someone_ had to stay with him; he was in no condition to be left by himself at the moment. "All right," she agreed reluctantly.

_And maybe, just maybe, he'll want to follow them,_ the thought occurred to her, as Himura gave her a slight bow then turned to follow Saitō through the village. _I won't __ask__ him to, but if he tries to... well, Himura can't blame me for joining him to make sure he stays all right!_

That decided, she turned back to Eiji. They were going to have to bury his parents' bodies themselves, since it was obvious the villagers would do nothing; maybe the work of digging would help him a bit.

* * *

Kenshin walked silently beside Saitō as the Miburō led the way out of the village, following the trail Shishio's soldiers had left, puzzling over the silent message Saitō had been determined that he receive.

What he had been able to sense from Saitō suggested that there was something that concerned the Shinsengumi; something that had little to do with Shishio and his plans for Japan, but that still promised to impact the country as a whole. Something that Saitō thought the two of them would need to deal with personally. And something that he _could not_ speak of directly; at least, not where they stood the slightest chance of being overheard.

_Well, if it was urgent, he __would__ have found some way to let me know the details, chance of being overheard or not,_ the hitokiri thought ruefully. As it was, their main concern now _had_ to be Shishio.

"So, Battōsai, how do you think we should handle this?" Saitō asked abruptly, as they reached the limits of the village and found a path that was the most likely route to Shishio's lair.

Kenshin gave a slight shrug. "Unfortunately, even if Shishio _is_ here, I don't believe we are likely to be able to deal with him directly - at least, not at the moment. I doubt he would be here at this point in time - especially as he knows that I have been recruited by Ōkubo and Kawaji - unless he had some form of escape route available to him. Quite likely, if he hasn't left already, he will try to test us in some way."

Saitō nodded thoughtfully. "And how much do you think he is likely to force us to reveal?"

"If we are lucky, nothing he does not already know," Kenshin replied. He paused for a moment, and then looked up at Saitō. "Everything considered," he said carefully, "I think it would be best if Shishio does _not_ find out the truth of... the role I have taken on." He didn't want to be more specific; there were hints of a hostile _ki_ nearby, and he suspected that they were being spied upon.

"Most likely a wise idea," Saitō agreed, equally carefully. From the way his eyes flicked around the path they were following, Kenshin could tell that he had sensed their watcher as well. "Anything that will lead Shishio to underestimate you will definitely help."

It was Kenshin's turn to nod in agreement. If he could deal with Shishio immediately he would, of course; but considering how unlikely that was, it might be the best thing they could do to make the other hitokiri believe that Kenshin was truly the rurouni who would not kill. So as they continued along the path, Kenshin concentrated on bringing the mask that was the rurouni to the forefront, making sure his emotions were shielded enough to keep his eyes from giving him away by going amber again before he was ready.

It didn't take them long to reach the mansion where Shishio was staying. Neither of them were terribly surprised to see someone waiting for them outside the gates.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed slightly as they approached. The one waiting for them was about his height, and wearing a white gi and blue hakama...

"Himura Battōsai and Saitō Hajime, correct?" the boy - and he was definitely a boy, no older than Kaoru, or perhaps even Misao - said; and Kenshin stiffened.

_That voice..._ "Be careful, Saitō," he said quietly. When the Shinsengumi looked at him curiously, Kenshin explained, "He is the one who assassinated Ōkubo."

"Now, really!" the boy exclaimed. "I'm just a guide today. See? I carry no weapons."

Both Kenshin and Saitō were well aware of the fact that not being armed did not necessarily make the boy any less dangerous.

"Shishio-san awaits you in the back," the boy continued. "Shall we?"

_'Shishio-__san__', is it?_ Kenshin thought, studying the boy, remembering the scene of Ōkubo's assassination. It made a curious contrast to the fear-filled respect of the soldiers they'd dealt with in the village, and implied that this boy was high in Shishio's regard. _Of course, I always called Katsura 'Katsura-san'..._

"We can't move forward by being _careful_," Saitō commented scornfully, his tone much the same as it had been during the start of the confrontation in the dojo. "Let's go."

The boy escorted them inside, and down the hall to a spot that had to be near the centre courtyard. Opening the _shoji_, he led them in, and Kenshin got his first sight of Shishio Makoto, the man who had succeeded him as hitokiri for the Chōshū Ishin Shishi after the events of the attack on Ikeda-ya and Otsu.

Shishio's entire body was swathed in bandages, save for his eyes, mouth, and a few tufts of dark hair. It was a somewhat shocking testament to just how much damage he had survived when the Meiji government had attempted to kill him, and showed a great strength of will.

Sitting next to him on the dais was a young woman who looked to be very attentive, and Kenshin studied her for a long moment before returning the majority of his attention to Shishio. It was time to get started.

"So, you are Shishio Makoto," he said calmly.

"Please!" Shishio objected, raising the pipe he held in one hand to his mouth. "'Shishio Makoto-_kun_', at least. A visitor should have better manners."

_So, we are going to play at being polite, are we?_ "Not that _your_ manners have been much better," Kenshin countered, narrowing his eyes, though he didn't let the anger he felt at Shishio and his actions turn them back to amber - not just yet.

Beside him, Saitō turned to look at the boy, and commented, "Hey, should you be standing at ease like that? Battōsai could take one leap at Shishio and kill him."

_Except that we both know there's more than one reason not to do so just yet; and since Shishio __is__ here, he has something planned._

The boy's response was educational.

"I'm not worried. Himura, unlike _you_, would _never_ resort to dirty tricks."

"Tsk," Saitō responded, shrugging as if the boy had scored a point, and Kenshin hid a smirk. Saitō was quite good at acting; but then, he would have to be, with the number of undercover roles Kenshin knew he'd played.

But it was time to return his attention to the matter at hand. "Why did you target this place?" he demanded. "Your goal is this nation itself, not one or two small villages."

"_Onsen,_" Shishio replied casually.

Kenshin was utterly confused by that. It was definitely _not_ the response he had expected.

"The hot springs here soothe my burnt skin, but if other customers saw me, they'd be scared," Shishio continued. "So I made it mine."

According to the file on Shishio's activities that Saitō had given him, the other man was _not_ insane, no matter how much he might sound that way at the moment; which suggested that this was one of Shishio's tests. Based on that, Kenshin knew how to respond.

"You destroyed the village for _that_?"

Both Shishio and his companion started laughing - but Kenshin was well acquainted with being laughed at; had in fact actively encouraged it in his role as the rurouni. It didn't bother him at all.

"Please, I'm joking," Shishio said, sounding quite amused. "Don't get so worked up." Then he met Kenshin's gaze, clearly studying him.

However, he and Shishio had never met each other before now, much less crossed blades; all the information Shishio had to go on when it came to him was second-hand. Which in turn meant that, unlike Saitō, Shishio didn't have the knowledge of him to realize the 'rurouni' was simply a mask. That _would_ leave him at a disadvantage when it came to their final confrontation.

"You're as humourless as they say you are," the other hitokiri declared finally.

"That was a cheap taunt," Saitō said in disgust, and Kenshin felt the slightest flicker of amusement in his _ki_ as the Shinsengumi slapped the back of his head. Kenshin glared at him, _not_ happy about that, as Saitō continued, "Don't get hysterical, like that _weasel girl_."

_Just think of Saitō dragging himself out of the river, looking like a drowned rat... I really must make sure that I bring that up as soon as possible..._

"I took this village as a stronghold from which to conquer the eastern shore," Shishio continued. "And I do like the _onsen_ here."

"Shishio-" Kenshin started, only to stop as Saitō placed a heavy hand on his shoulder and hissed at him to shut up.

"So, you sit here in your bandages, and plan your _revenge_ against the Meiji government," Saitō commented, his tone as casual as Shishio's had been.

That sounded almost as though Saitō was offering Shishio a challenge of his own. But Shishio wasn't getting to him any more than he was getting to Kenshin, so why...?

"Saitō Hajime, captain of the Third Unit of the Shinsengumi," Shishio said coolly. "I thought you were more of my mind than that of Battōsai, so I expected you to understand a bit better... But, not quite.

"I have no desire to take revenge on those who gave me these wounds," the other hitokiri continued, and Kenshin and Saitō exchanged glances.

_So, he's not interested in taking revenge - or, at least, he __claims__ not be interested,_ Kenshin mused, returning his gaze to Shishio. _Which leaves... what? An appetite for power? That's definitely possible - Ōkubo __did__ describe him as 'ambitious', after all..._

"In fact, I thank them for it."

Kenshin blinked.

"These wounds burned many lessons into my body." Shishio slapped his arm. "'Trust, and be betrayed.' 'Relax your guard, and be killed.' 'Kill before you are killed.'

"And also," he added, smirking as he turned slightly to put one arm around the woman beside him, "'Women will come to a real man no matter what he looks like.'"

"Is that so?" Saitō questioned, his tone implying nothing more than a vague interest, the challenge withdrawn as inexplicably as it had been offered. "Then shouldn't you be more content?" The Shinsengumi leaned lightly against the wall. "It's _tiring_ to have to run around the country after you."

Shishio sighed heavily. "You and I and Battōsai here are all men who lived through the Bakumatsu. Why can't you understand my feelings?"

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. Now, perhaps, they would get somewhere...

"The Emperor, the Shōgun, the exclusion of foreigners, the opening of the ports... The Bakumatsu was the first era of _chaos_ in thirty years. The Emperor, the government, Satsuma, Chōshū, or Tosa... all carried their banners of 'right' through endless killing. A man forged in such an age must be a man of unquenchable ambition."

The boy and the woman both clapped. Kenshin and Saitō simply waited for the rest of it.

"But by the time my wounds healed, there was something called the _Meiji government_." Shishio was spinning his pipe in his hand as he spoke. "A government that fears to send an _army_ to finish off a half-dead being like me, because it fears the eyes of foreign countries. A government of _weaklings_. I can't leave this nation to a government like that!" Shishio's hand tightened around his pipe.

"_So!_" The pipe broke with a _crack_, but Shishio ignored it. "If the revolution is over, then I'll start _another_ one! This time I will gain _control_!"

Both Kenshin and Saitō stepped forward, and Kenshin found his eyes narrowing even further as his anger at Shishio's arrogance built. He liked where this was going even less than the possibility that Shishio wanted revenge on those who had used and betrayed him, which was a motivation that Kenshin could at least understand, even if he couldn't condone it.

"Then I _will_ make this country stronger! _That_ is the 'right' I bring Japan!"

"But," Kenshin said quietly, knowing that his eyes had gone amber despite himself as fury rose at the implications of Shishio's words, "it's not _you_ who bleeds for your 'right'. The ones who _bleed_ are those who live _peacefully_ in this age."

"It is the fittest who survive in this world," Shishio countered. "But I won't ask you to understand that."

Without conscious thought, Kenshin drew his sakabatō, taking a step forward as he did so, the move purposefully threatening. "Shishio Makoto... No one else may be allowed to bleed for _your_ personal 'right'," he declared coldly.

"Saitō-san, how about you?" the boy asked from behind him.

Kenshin knew Saitō was smirking from the tone of his voice. "I don't make a habit of speeches like his," the Shinsengumi stated calmly, "but my sword turns against you, too."

"I have no objection to fighting you," Shishio remarked, "but if we are to do it, I'd rather it be in Kyoto."

The statement wasn't a surprise to Kenshin - he and Saitō _had_ been expecting exactly that, after all - but at the moment, he honestly felt angry enough to see if he could deal with Shishio right now. He silently took another step forward.

"No...?" Shishio sounded almost disappointed, but his _ki_ didn't reflect that; instead, what Kenshin could sense from him felt triumphant. "Well, if fight we must..." He slapped his hand down on the floor - a signal.

Kenshin stepped back as a blade came up through the floor, followed by a huge arm, exchanging a startled look with Saitō.

"...Let's leave it to the man who controls this village," Shishio continued as an enormous form stepped out of the hole, "Senkaku!"

Senkaku was heavily muscled, much taller even than Saitō, and wore blades over his knuckles - Kenshin recognized them as being the most likely source of the wounds on the bodies of Eiji's family. He was going to have to be careful not to let this giant overpower him by sheer strength. It wouldn't be _easy_, but Kenshin was confident he could handle this man.

Looking up at him, Kenshin said coolly, "So _you_ are Senkaku; the man who killed Eiji's brother and parents."

Senkaku bared his teeth, and moved forward - remarkably fast for such a large, heavy man.

"He's quick," Saitō remarked, as Kenshin moved away equally swiftly. The Shinsengumi didn't sound the least bit worried, and Kenshin smirked slightly. Nice to know Saitō had that much confidence in him. Of course, Saitō knew what he was capable of, from personal experience.

Kenshin moved behind Senkaku, and the man's response was surprisingly quick, even taking his speed into account, as he turned to look, then brought his arm around, directing his blade toward Kenshin. "You're _slow_!"

Kenshin immediately brought his sakabatō up, blade edge out, and caught Senkaku's blade about one _sun_ from his chest.

"Oh, my," the boy murmured. "He's weaker than expected."

Senkaku's response was very similar. "Himura Battōsai is no one to fear!"

_Do you truly think so?_ Kenshin wondered coldly. This first exchange had given him Senkaku's measure, and he now knew how to defeat the giant. Senkaku was definitely stronger than him - not that _that_ had been in doubt - but wasn't faster; in fact, he was markedly slower. The combination of arrogance and confidence he could sense in the giant's _ki_ told Kenshin that Senkaku had chosen to use his fastest speed to attack, whereas all he had done to start with was match his speed to Senkaku's.

He met Senkaku's gaze, seeing a flicker of surprise in the other man's eyes at the fact that he was still alive. "Eiji has his promise," Kenshin declared; and then pushed forward with his blade. The sakabatō cracked Senkaku's blade so badly that it became unusable. "I _will_ take you down before Shishio!"

"Take down? Me?" Senkaku repeated in clear disbelief.

"You," Kenshin said flatly.

Senkaku bared his teeth, and snarled, "_Try me!_" as he brought his other blade around, straight at Kenshin.

* * *

Saitō's attention was split three ways: between the boy standing next to him, the battle occurring in front of him, and Shishio, who was watching the battle just as intently as he was. Trying to gain more information about Battōsai's style, he knew. He just hoped that Battōsai didn't forget their purpose here in his determination to avenge the Mishima family.

"Senkaku, who to this day has carved up ninety-nine people, will make you his _one-hundredth_!" the giant yelled, as he swung the blade Battōsai _hadn't_ ruined at the hitokiri.

"Only ninety-nine?" Saitō repeated. He chuckled darkly as Battōsai evaded the blade, and leaned back against the wall again, crossing his arms over his chest. Between his assignments, their bodyguards, and the ambushes both Saitō's fellow Shinsengumi and the rest of the Shogunate forces had laid for him, Battōsai had killed more people than that during his first six months as hitokiri, let alone the next four years. He smirked in open amusement. "And here I thought you were a warrior."

Battōsai's figure blurred as he moved behind Senkaku, and Saitō's eyes narrowed as both the boy and the woman reacted to this demonstration of the hitokiri's infamous speed. That wasn't the fastest he'd seen Battōsai move; it wasn't even up to the speed Battōsai had started with during their duel in the Kamiya dojo. _What exactly are you doing, Battōsai? We both know that if it comes down to a contest of speed, you can defeat this Senkaku with ease._

The giant spun around to face Battōsai, who responded by moving back around so that he was once again behind Senkaku... only slightly faster this time.

Saitō doubted that anyone who hadn't fought Battōsai before would have noticed it, but the two of them had fought each other so often that the increase in speed seemed obvious to him.

"Heh... Is Battōsai a coward whose only skill is to strike from behind?" Senkaku asked, looking over his shoulder at the hitokiri, whose expression didn't even show the contempt Saitō could feel practically radiating from him. "That's something I can do too," the giant added, imitating Battōsai's move.

"It's nothing to be proud of," the hitokiri said coolly.

"Your speed matches mine," Senkaku proclaimed, and Saitō frowned at that, "but I have sheer strength _you_ don't, and these knuckle blades take full advantage of _both_!" He swung out at Battōsai again; and again, Battōsai evaded him, once again moving just a little faster than before.

And Saitō let a bit more of his weight rest against the wall as he realized exactly what Battōsai was doing. _Oh, yes, Battōsai, you __are__ still as clever as ever..._

The battle - if it could be called that, considering that Battōsai had yet to even attempt to strike a blow - continued for several more minutes. Saitō was finding it rather amusing, all told; he wasn't certain whether or not Shishio understood what was happening, but it was clear that the boy didn't, and Senkaku _definitely_ didn't.

While Battōsai was dealing with that, Saitō tried to determine the viability of attacking Shishio. The renegade hitokiri was distracted by the battle between Senkaku and Battōsai, which would make this a perfect time to strike...

...Except for the fact that the boy was still next to him, and Saitō couldn't tell how he would react. Battōsai had identified him as Ōkubo's assassin, which meant there was definitely more to the boy than the innocent appearance he had shown them so far.

Saitō had been trying to sense the boy's _ki_ since they'd arrived, but hadn't yet been able to - he was going to have to ask Battōsai what he could sense. However, even if he couldn't _sense_ the boy's _ki_, he should still be able to affect it.

Even as he thought that, the boy commented, "Himura is really having a hard time. He's been pushed around, and hasn't had a chance to strike, not even one." Then the boy looked at him, and Saitō took the opportunity to project his own _ki_, in an effort to overwhelm the boy. If he could do that, he would be able to attack Shishio without needing to worry about the boy's response. "Why don't you help him out?"

Saitō tilted his head slightly and looked down at the boy, doing his best to hide the confusion he felt. There should have been a reaction - _some_ reaction, even if it was only a blink - but there was nothing. It was as though the boy had no true _ki_ at all, which was almost impossible to believe. He would have to be emotionless, or as close to that as made no difference, for that to be true!

Either way, it meant Saitō had no way to predict how the boy would react, and so he couldn't afford to take the chance of attacking Shishio. Instead, he concentrated on his role of being Battōsai's back-up, though he continued to work on projecting his _ki_ toward the boy, just in case.

"You're joking," he said out loud, in response to the question the boy had asked. "I don't plan on revealing my sword moves to an opponent like that." Saitō jabbed his finger in Shishio's direction. "Look at him. He's trying to analyze every move Battōsai makes.

"Battōsai, of course," the Miburō continued, "can feel his eyes; and _that_ is why he is waiting for his opponent's self-destruction."

"'Self-destruction'?" the boy repeated, sounding puzzled; but still, there was no sense of his _ki_. Even with sword-masters who knew how to shield their _ki_ as well as... well, Battōsai... there was still a sense of _presence_, at least when they were as close as the boy was right now. But the boy had _nothing_.

Even as Saitō continued to try to make sense of that, he saw a flicker of triumph cross Battōsai's face.

"It's about time," the hitokiri remarked, before moving away from Senkaku's attack again.

"Will you give up this-" Senkaku started as he began twisting around... and then a sharp _crack_ sounded, as his legs twisted and gave out, dropping him to the floor.

"_Guaah!_ My... leg... is broken!"

"By moving repetitively without dropping your speed," Battōsai said calmly, standing over the fallen giant, "you've exceeded the impact your body could stand."

"Nonsense!" Senkaku blurted out. "We were moving at the same speed! How can my body have hit its limit before your puny body hit its?"

Saitō smirked. The idiot didn't get it, though he thought that Shishio might have finally realized what Battōsai had done.

"We moved at the same speed, but _your_ body is heavier, so the burden on it was greater," Battōsai stated.

"No, that can't be!" Senkaku yelled in denial. "That's never happened before! My body shouldn't hit the limit at such a speed-"

As entertaining as certain elements of this situation were, they still had a job to do. Saitō interrupted the giant's protest curtly. "Fool. Don't you see yet?" When Senkaku just stared at him blankly, Saitō shook his head in disgust. "Every time he moved, Battōsai increased his speed slightly. You believed you were moving at the same speed and fell for it."

He smirked. "You were saying you've killed ninety-nine people, but your hundredth kill seems to be _you_."

Senkaku gaped at him.

The boy made some comment, but Saitō ignored him as he watched Battōsai approach Senkaku. _Remember, you're playing the rurouni here, Battōsai..._ Unfortunately, judging from the fact that the hitokiri's eyes were glowing pure amber, he suspected that Battōsai might have forgotten that aspect of what they were doing here in his anger over the treatment of the Mishima family. He was certainly making Senkaku more than a little bit nervous.

The giant raised one hand in an effort to stave off Battōsai's approach. "It... was a lie..." Senkaku stuttered. "I didn't kill that many people! Ninety-nine was just a figure of speech... you see?"

Battōsai appeared to be utterly unmoved. "But you _were_ the one who killed Eiji's family, weren't you." It wasn't a question.

"Senkaku," Shishio interrupted the confrontation. The giant turned to look at him, and Saitō had to admire how well the man broke Battōsai's spell. "I didn't really expect you to win, but if you lose without making Battōsai reveal a single move, I'll _personally_ put an end to you."

Battōsai's expression flickered for just a moment, and Saitō winced, knowing the hitokiri didn't intend to leave Senkaku's fate to Shishio, no matter how angry he was - even if he wanted the giant dead himself. Saitō could only hope it _didn't_ involve showing Shishio one of his specialized moves... although that _was_ probably what Battōsai would do if he were truly the rurouni...

Even as he was wondering just what Battōsai was planning, Saitō sensed the _ki_ of that girl and the Mishima boy approaching. _Idiots!_ he thought furiously. _Are they __trying__ to get killed?_

He didn't have time to think about how to deal with them just yet, however, because at that moment, Senkaku forced himself to stand up, and charged forward, obviously more terrified of Shishio than he was of Battōsai.

Battōsai drew back his sword, and then _moved_. "_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū! Ryūshōsen!_"

Saitō watched as Battōsai brought the blunt edge of his sakabatō up to Senkaku's neck, and found himself hiding a smirk as he realized that the hitokiri had _not_, even with the provocation from both Shishio and Senkaku, stopped thinking. _Clever, Battōsai, very clever. A move that's best used against one much larger than you are, or who is standing higher than you. As long as you avoid fighting Shishio while he's on a level more than a __shaku__ above you, his knowing that particular move shouldn't help him._

Still playing the part, however, Saitō put a mixture of disgust and irritation in his voice as he spoke. "Idiot... Taking pity on that muscle-head - that kindness may cost you your life."

"It doesn't matter," Battōsai said coolly, as he landed easily between Senkaku and the dais where Shishio and the woman were sitting. "I'm not so worried about this one..."

Raising his sword, he pointed it directly at Shishio. "Get your sword, Shishio Makoto."

Settling himself a bit more comfortably against the wall, Saitō glanced down as he heard a whisper of sound from next to him to see that the _shoji_ was slightly open. Judging from the shock he sensed from the girl's _ki_, she and Mishima were undoubtedly the culprits, and had most likely seen Battōsai's latest move.

"This... isn't anything we should stick our noses into," the girl murmured, so quietly that Saitō could barely pick up the words.

_Hmm... Perhaps I should let Battōsai handle them. It should be interesting - and useful - to find out how he now deals with disobedience._ Smirking at the thought, he reached down and pulled the _shoji_ open. "So stop sneaking around, and _watch_," he said, as the two children came tumbling into the room. "Just don't leave my side," he added curtly. They were in enough danger here already; no point in exposing them to more.

Battōsai had whirled around at the noise, and was now staring at the children in dismay. "Misao-san!" the hitokiri exclaimed, his tone one of disappointment.

"That move called _Ryūshōsen_," Shishio remarked from the dais, giving no indication that he'd even seen the children. Battōsai turned back to face him, and Saitō waited, knowing that whatever happened now would determine whether they'd succeeded in their goal for this particular confrontation with Shishio. "You swung upward into Senkaku's chin, but it's originally a move designed for a blade, yes?"

"Yes," Battōsai admitted after a long moment, the agreement sounding quite reluctant.

Shishio didn't look terribly pleased. "I'm disappointed," he declared, and Saitō made sure his _ki_ was thoroughly shielded, not wanting Shishio to sense the triumph he was feeling.

"I'd heard from my men that you had quit being hitokiri and become rurouni, but I couldn't believe it, not till I saw with my own eyes. To try and beat _me_ like that... you haven't a chance in _hell_. And I don't like boring fights." Shishio snapped his fingers, and the woman stood up and opened a _shoji_ right behind them, revealing a set of stairs going down into the ground.

"I'll wait for you in Kyoto," Shishio continued, standing up, "so come back once you're hitokiri again."

"Running with your tail tucked between your legs?" Battōsai taunted.

Shishio looked at him for a moment, then reached down, picked up the katana that had been resting next to him, and threw it.

The girl - Misao, that was what the hitokiri had called her - gasped in shock as Battōsai didn't move, but Saitō ignored her. The sword wouldn't hit Battōsai; it had been aimed quite carefully at the boy who had brought them here, who caught it easily.

"Sōjirō, amuse yourself with them in my stead," Shishio ordered, as Battōsai turned to face the young assassin.

The boy gripped the hilt of the katana and grinned. "Oh, may I?"

"Yes," Shishio replied. "In return for the '_Ryūshōsen_', show them your '_Tenken_'." With that, he turned and walked down the stairs, leaving the five of them - Battōsai, Saitō, the boy, and the two children - alone in the room.

* * *

**Glossary**

_shaku_: A Japanese unit of measure equivalent to approximately 30.303 cm (just under one foot).

_sun_: A Japanese unit of measure equivalent to approximately 3.03 cm (just under 1.2 inches).

Both are used for swords and building.

* * *

Coming Next Month: **Chapter 4: Okina - Oniwabanshū of Kyoto**


	14. C4P1: Sakabatou Broken!

Author's Note #1: A lot of the dialogue - but definitely not all - in this chapter was taken from Acts 70-71 and 74-81 of the _Rurouni Kenshin_ manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san, some of it modified slightly by bits from the anime, some of it modified by the requirements of the story.

Author's Note #2: Just a reminder - for notes, go to (remove the spaces): www. t1goold. net/ RK/ NotesRK. html

Author's Note #3: I apologize for the delay in posting this - I'm afraid I've had a number of distractions over the past month (including a visit by my 7 - now almost 8 - month old niece, and preparing for TT20).

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: Okina - Oniwabanshū of Kyoto**

_Part 1: Sakabatō Broken!_

Saitō watched as Battōsai and the boy Sōjirō faced off against one another in the centre of the room. The hitokiri's face was emotionless as he studied the boy carefully, and Saitō abruptly realized that Battōsai couldn't sense the boy's _ki_ any more than he could.

It was a shocking realization. He had never known another swordsman who was as skilled as Battōsai at sensing _ki_ - from what he knew of Battōsai's style, Hiten Mitsurugi _relied_ on the swordsman being able to read their opponent. That Battōsai, of all people, couldn't do so, meant that perhaps Sōjirō being essentially emotionless wasn't as impossible as he had thought.

"I shan't hold back," the boy remarked calmly, moving the sword Shishio had tossed him so that he was holding it at his side.

Battōsai didn't answer, just continued to study him for a long moment; and then Saitō felt the hitokiri focus his _ki_ and direct it at Sōjirō as strongly as he would an attack with a sword.

Before Saitō could mention the fact that he'd already tried that, Misao abruptly stood up. "Hey, Himura!" she yelled. "What are you dozing off for?"

Apparently irritated by the fact that Battōsai gave her no response, she stepped forward and continued, "If you don't hurry, the bandage man is gonna get away!" She took another step forward, until she was standing almost directly behind Sōjirō - and then staggered back against the wall, her face pale as she received the full force of Battōsai's _ki_ attack.

"Wh-what was that?" she stuttered, shivering.

Saitō didn't look at her, keeping his attention focused on Battōsai as he spoke. "Directing _ki_ toward _him_ is like pushing one's self off against a curtain," he stated. "I've been doing it myself for a while."

He could tell that Battōsai had heard him, and continued as Sōjirō bowed, "That boy lacks not only battle _ki_, but aggression, and rage."

There was no direct response from the hitokiri, but he continued his _ki_-projection for another long moment; just in case Sōjirō was simply highly resistant to such attacks, Saitō suspected.

"I'm sorry," Sōjirō said finally, "but if we don't hurry, I won't be able to catch up to Shishio."

Battōsai's eyes narrowed slightly; then, re-sheathing his sakabatō, he slipped into the stance for _battō-jutsu_.

"What is he doing?" Misao demanded, obviously not recognizing the stance; or perhaps she was simply nervous about Battōsai's abilities when he couldn't sense his opponent's _ki_ - Saitō wasn't sure how much she knew. _Once this is dealt with, I really must ask Battōsai about her... Who exactly is she, and what is she doing with him?_

The Shinsengumi shrugged. "If he can't react to the opponent, then it's most advantageous to strike with the _fastest_ sword," he informed her, though he kept his gaze focused firmly on the confrontation playing out in front of them.

"_Battō-jutsu_, of course," Sōjirō remarked. "Then I, too..." He echoed Battōsai's stance.

Saitō tensed as the two of them faced each other, almost as if Sōjirō was a shadowed mirror of the red-haired hitokiri. Battōsai was known for his speed and skill at _battō-jutsu_ - it _was_, after all, the very move that had given the hitokiri his name - and for another to think enough of their skill that they would attempt to use it against him made the Shinsengumi very wary.

Both unlocked their swords...

...And then they _moved_.

There was a very sudden, loud metallic _keen_, a sound that Saitō had last heard during their duel in the Kamiya dojo, when Battōsai had cut his katana in half... and the Shinsengumi watched, his expression grim, as the top half of the sakabatō went flying.

_This is __not__ good._

Then his eyes went to Sōjirō, and he felt a touch of relief as he spotted the damage the boy-assassin's sword had taken. _So Battōsai held his own, at least..._

Unfortunately, while holding his own might be enough for this particular battle, it would _not_ be enough for the rest of them. And with the sakabatō broken, Battōsai was either going to have to replace it somehow, or he was going to have to take up a katana again.

"Match over, you think?" Sōjirō said, smiling calmly.

"Yes," Saitō agreed. "It's a draw; both of you are unable to continue."

Sōjirō looked down at his sword, and an expression of astonishment crossed his face - though there was still not even the slightest flicker of _ki_.

"_Woo-hooo!_ You _go_, Himura!" the girl shouted.

"Astounding," Sōjirō murmured, examining his blade. "It's beyond repair." Then he shrugged, sheathing it. "Oh, well... it's Shishio's, anyway." He started toward the stairs by which Shishio had exited, as Battōsai began walking back toward Saitō and the two children.

"There is no winner or loser in this match," the hitokiri said, his tone calm.

Sōjirō nodded. "I'll be on my way for today. I hope we meet again. Before then," he added, as he passed Battōsai, "please find another sword."

Battōsai didn't respond to that, simply watched the young assassin start down the stairs. Then he met Saitō's gaze, and the Shinsengumi could easily read the thought in the amber-blue eyes: _This will be a problem._

"Himura..." Misao said quietly, looking at the broken sakabatō as Battōsai re-sheathed the part he held. "Your sakabatō... broke..."

"And Shishio and most of his gang got away as well," Saitō added.

"_Hey!_" the girl snapped, glaring at him.

"Well, another sakabatō can be made," Battōsai murmured, "and we can chase Shishio again. And we managed to rid this village of Shishio's men. That is _something_, at least..."

As Misao walked over to the hitokiri, Saitō's attention was caught by the boy, Eiji, as he moved toward Senkaku's unconscious form. Remembering the rage he'd sensed in the boy's _ki_ when they'd been in the village - a completely understandable rage, admittedly - he frowned. He didn't like the looks of this. Eiji was young enough to think that revenge would make everything better. Pushing himself away from the wall, Saitō started toward the boy.

A moment later, Eiji raised the old sword he had been holding, his intentions obvious, just as Battōsai and the girl noticed what was going on.

"_Eiji,_" Misao shouted, reaching out one hand as if to stop him.

The boy didn't appear to have heard her. His attention was fixed on Senkaku, and if looks could kill, the giant would have already been dead.

"_Die, Senkaku!_"

Before Eiji could bring the sword down, however, Saitō had grabbed the blade from behind. The boy turned his head to stare at him, and Saitō took hold of the collar of his _gi_ and tossed him back against the wall, firmly enough to make an impression without hurting him beyond minor bruises.

"He's no _use_ to us dead," the Shinsengumi said curtly, looking down at Eiji as the boy tried to recover from the impact. Mishima Ei'ichirō had been one of his people, and Saitō had always taken his obligations to his people seriously. He would _not_ allow the boy to ruin himself when he could prevent it; this was the Meiji era, not Edo, and things _had_ changed. Besides, while Senkaku hadn't been in Shishio's inner circle, he _had_ been of a higher rank than the foot soldiers that had been all they'd managed to capture and interrogate thus far. "There's still too much we need of him."

"This is my revenge!" Eiji protested angrily. "Don't stop me!"

"Idiot." Saitō's tone was cold. "Revenge killings were outlawed in the sixth year of Meiji. I've enough to do already." He turned and walked over to where Senkaku was lying, and then glanced back at Eiji again. Perhaps this would pacify him... "Besides, if he's turned over to the law, he'll be tortured and then executed. It's much crueler than killing him while he's unconscious, if that's what you want."

He heard a gasp and a mutter of, "Ogre!" from the girl, but ignored it. He needed to get Eiji's focus off revenge.

"_Shut up!_" the boy yelled. "I don't care about laws or executions!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Saitō saw him start to reach for the hilt of the sword he'd dropped when he'd hit the wall.

"If I don't take revenge with my very own hands, how can my _family_ ever-?"

He broke off, and Saitō turned his head to see that Battōsai had placed a hand over the one Eiji had gripped the hilt with.

"What the dead wish for is not revenge," the deadliest assassin of the Chōshū Ishin Shishi said quietly, "but _happiness_ for those left alive. If you dirty your hands now, _no one_ will be happy."

Saitō watched intently as Eiji stared at Battōsai, stunned. Even the girl appeared to have been silenced by the utter seriousness of Battōsai's tone, and the hint of knowledge his words held.

"As time passes," Battōsai continued, his tone still serious as he lifted Eiji's hand off the sword-hilt, "this small hand will grow larger, and you will become an adult." The hitokiri's expression was somber.

"Don't grow into a man like Shishio or Senkaku, oppressing others with power. Don't grow into a man like these villagers, paralyzed by fear.

"Grow into a man like your brother, who wanted, at the end, for you to be safe... and to achieve happiness."

Eiji's eyes were wide as he continued to stare for at Battōsai for a long moment; then he dropped the old sword carelessly on the floor and burst into tears.

"For now, at least, I guess things are settled," the girl murmured after a glance at Battōsai, and then handed Eiji a cloth to wipe his face as the hitokiri stood up and came over to stand next to Saitō.

"For now," Battōsai echoed quietly, as the two children began arguing. He followed Saitō's gaze to the broken-off half of his sakabatō sticking up from the floor, and frowned. "So, the appropriate question would be: What next?"

"There's a unit of police officers in Numazu who are waiting for me to send word of what has happened here," Saitō replied. "I'll contact them to come and collect Senkaku, and deal with the village; once that's done, we'll make a decision about the rest."

He paused for a moment, and then looked back toward the two children. Now would probably be a good time to ask. "I thought you were going along the Tōkaidō to _avoid_ getting any innocents involved," he remarked. "What's with the girl?"

Battōsai sighed. "Her name is Makimachi Misao. It's a bit of a long story, but the gist of it is that she was raised by Shinomori Aoshi and the Oniwabanshū for a few years after the Bakumatsu, and then left in Kyoto with someone Aoshi knew. She apparently heard rumours that Aoshi was seen in Tokyo, and left Kyoto to look for him." He shrugged. "I _did_ try to get rid of her - I left her in Hakone yesterday afternoon - but she kept following me. I made the mistake of reacting when she told me she was searching for Aoshi, and while I told her I had no idea where he was now, I'm not certain she believes me."

Saitō frowned. "I imagine you didn't give her any of the details of what happened," he commented, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. _Should I tell him that Shinomori is likely heading for Kyoto?_

"No," Battōsai admitted. "I simply implied that I knew of Aoshi from the same rumours she heard." He glanced toward the girl. "I... don't exactly know how to tell her that the rest of the Oniwabanshū are dead."

"Hmph." _No, I think I had better not. Best to keep him as a wild card; besides, Battōsai has enough to worry about as it is. And I want him concentrating on Shishio, not worrying about Shinomori - or, for that matter, those __idiot__ friends of his - or what they might do._ "So what will you do with her now?"

"Escort her to Kyoto, to her guardian," the hitokiri replied. "And then leave her in his care, while I concentrate on Shishio."

"And do you really think that she'll leave you alone?" Saitō asked, blowing out a thin stream of smoke from the cigarette. "You said she followed you from Hakone when she wasn't supposed to, and we saw just how well she obeys orders to stay where she is this afternoon."

Battōsai grimaced. "I'll just have to find a way to persuade her. She's been partially trained in _shinobi_ skills, but she's currently at the stage that she thinks she knows more than she does, and you know how dangerous that can be."

_Very much like that idiot Sagara, who thinks resilience can compensate for lack of defensive skills,_ Saitō thought, but didn't say out loud. "All the more reason to suspect she won't be inclined to let you deal with things on your own," he pointed out, then shrugged. "Well, she'll learn, or she won't. As long as she doesn't interfere with our dealing with Shishio, she can do what she likes.

"Keep an eye on them while I contact Numazu, will you?" he added, gesturing to both the children and Senkaku, before heading out the door. There should be a telegraph he could use somewhere around here...

* * *

They stood at the top of the cliff, looking down on the village as the police took Senkaku away, to the accompaniment of cheers from the villagers.

"I know that now Shingetsu village can return to normal, but I don't feel _right_ about the way everyone's cheering like that," Misao remarked, frowning slightly.

Kenshin echoed her frown. He suspected it was somewhat overly optimistic for Misao to think that things could go back to normal for the villagers so quickly. They'd been essentially held captive for two years, and that could have ended up doing a great deal of damage.

"It's only the beginning," Saitō said, his tone grim, and Kenshin knew he agreed. They'd both seen evidence of the damage living in a war zone could do to even those not involved in the fighting; how much worse would it be for someone held captive in that environment? "The ugliness of their souls was exposed by this incident, meaning it'll be _rough_ for a while."

Kenshin nodded in reluctant agreement, even as Misao turned and snapped at Saitō, "I don't feel 'right' about _you_, either!"

He hid a smirk at that. Saitō had definitely rubbed her the wrong way...

The Miburō snorted and ignored her, looking back over the village.

"This village is still my homeland," Eiji said quietly after a minute of silence, a newfound maturity in his voice. "I'll pray for the best."

Which brought up another concern Kenshin had...

"Now, it's time for me to leave," Saitō declared, before he could say anything. "I've got to take Senkaku back to Tokyo and let Kawaji know what's happened so far before I can continue to Kyoto."

"All right," Kenshin agreed. "But... what's to be done with Eiji?"

"Neither you nor I can take him along," the Miburō stated, glancing down at the boy, "so I'll have Tokio take care of him until things settle down."

"'Tokio'?" Kenshin repeated, puzzled. He'd never heard Saitō mention that name before. Who was she?

"My wife."

Kenshin blinked in surprise, vaguely aware that behind him, Misao was gaping at Saitō in absolute disbelief. "I hadn't realized you were married."

Saitō shrugged. "She's a good woman; she'll take good care of Eiji." He paused for a moment, and then frowned at Kenshin. "You just hurry to Kyoto. We're too far behind Shishio as it is; and even after you arrive in Kyoto, you're still going to need some time to find a new sword.

"In fact, it definitely wouldn't hurt you to rent a horse at the next post station," the Miburō added. "At this rate, it will take you another week and a half to reach Kyoto, and I don't think we have that much time."

Kenshin glanced down at his _saya_, where he'd sheathed the remains of his sakabatō, and shrugged. "Luckily, I know who to look for to manage the new sword," he replied. "The swordsmith who made the sakabatō for me promised that if I needed a replacement, I could come to see him."

Saitō's frown deepened at that, and he looked over at Misao and Eiji before motioning Kenshin a short distance away. "We've already managed to deceive Shishio into thinking you're no longer hitokiri," he said, once they were out of earshot of the children. "I would think it wiser to get a proper katana, rather than simply replace the sakabatō."

"Just because I _am_ willing to kill if it's necessary, Saitō, doesn't mean that I _want_ to," Kenshin declared soberly. He met Saitō's eyes, his own dark. "I don't intend to kill if I can prevent it, which means I _need_ a sakabatō."

_Because using a normal katana - I __will__ kill. I've always had to use lethal blows; I've never been able to train myself to do otherwise. My instincts simply will not let me. And I don't want to end up killing someone who needs only be arrested in order to stop them._

Understanding flickered in Saitō's eyes, along with exasperation, and the Miburō shook his head. "Very well," he said finally. "Just remember that I'm counting on you to handle things properly until I get there, Battōsai." With that, he beckoned Eiji over, and started toward the trail that led down to the village.

Kenshin sighed and looked back over the cliff, watching as the police finally managed to move the cart containing Senkaku out of the village, his thoughts still dark. _That boy, Sōjirō... I'm definitely going to have trouble dealing with him when we fight again. I've never met, or even heard of, any other swordsman who's emotionless enough to have no __ki__. Without that, all I can do is guess at what move he'll make. And his __battō-jutsu__... it was the same speed as mine._

_I __could__ change that if I had a katana-_ He cut the thought off abruptly. _No. As I told Saitō, I __refuse__ to leave a trail of bodies behind me, which is what I __would__ do if I used a katana. There has to be some other way._

Unfortunately, he was having a great deal of trouble thinking of one. One of the problems of having few who could equal him when it came to swords, though not one he'd ever had to consider before. _Saitō, Okita and I were all equals during the Bakumatsu... but I could always read at least a portion of their intent through their __ki__. I can't do that with Sōjirō-_

"Hey, Himura!" Misao called from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. "Why so glum? After all, _they_ ran and _we_ won!"

"Did we?" Kenshin countered, still frowning. _And Saitō's right about the need to get to Kyoto as quickly as I can. Perhaps I __should__ rent horses..._

"Of course we did! We got rid of Senkaku and saved the village, after all," Misao pointed out. "And I'm sure we can replace your sakabatō once we get to Kyoto. So there's no need to frown. Don't listen to that Saitō guy - after all, he didn't even _do_ anything to help! Just stood against the wall making comments while you were actually fighting!"

_And we __did__ succeed in convincing Shishio that the rurouni mask is the truth of who I am, which should give us a certain advantage,_ Kenshin reminded himself, and managed to smile a bit. "You're right, Misao - we _did_ win this battle," he agreed.

"See? I told you!" she declared, grinning. Then she grabbed his arm and tugged him back towards the woods. "Now, you said we need to get to Kyoto quickly?"

"Yes, I did," Kenshin agreed, forcing his muscles to relax. He was thankful that he wasn't going to spend too much more time with Misao; as optimistic and uplifting as she was, the way she tended to grab at him was fraying his nerves - and it was worse knowing he had only the broken half of his sakabatō to defend himself. "What do you think about getting horses for most of the rest of the trip?"

* * *

**Glossary**

_Numazu_: The 13th station on the Tōkaidō going from Tokyo to Kyoto (not counting Tokyo). Hakone is the 11th station. An interesting note: _Mishima_ - Eiji and Ei'ichiro's surname - is the 12th station (between Hakone and Numazu). There's a link to a map and the station list of the Tōkaidō on the Notes page (see Author's Note #2).


	15. C4P2: Plans in Tokyo

Author's Note #1: I apologize for the extra-long delay; I can only say that between TT20, the aftermath thereof, and the tropical week that Toronto had late last month, I haven't been able to concentrate on much other than work and recovering from the aforementioned times. I will try my best not to let it go on this long without a post again.

Author's Note #2: Finally, we get to learn about the sub-plot that was first referenced in Chp. 3.3... not to mention meet Tokio!

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C4P1 (fourteenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: Okina - Oniwabanshū of Kyoto**

_Part 2: Plans in Tokyo_

Saitō opened the gate to the small house he lived in here in Tokyo, and urged Eiji in with a firm hand on his shoulder. The boy - who had been, understandably enough, sullen and withdrawn for most of the two days it had taken for them to return to Tokyo with their prisoner - glared at him, but entered obediently. Saitō then closed the gate behind them; and he had just finished latching it shut when the door to the house opened and Tokio stepped out.

"You're home earlier than expected," she commented calmly, dark eyes studying both him and the boy. Saitō was pleased to see she was holding a _menhari-gata_ in her right hand, ready to defend herself if there had proved to be an intruder; he didn't _think_ Shishio knew of his wife and son, but there was no sense in taking any chances, and Tokio had always been quite skilled with _menhari-gata_.

"We encountered something of a situation," he replied evenly, and then pushed Eiji slightly forward. "This is Mishima Eiji - the brother of the agent I sent to Shingetsu."

From the expression on his wife's face, she was able to guess at what he preferred not to say just yet. "Welcome to our home, Eiji," she said to him. "Why don't you come in?" She moved out of the doorway, leaving it free for him to enter.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then offered her a quick bow, and walked slowly in.

"Where is Tsutomu?" Saitō asked then; he'd expected the toddler to be out of the door as soon as Tokio stepped away from it - his son had lately developed a habit of trying to get involved in _everything_ that was happening, whether he should be or not.

His wife shook her head. "He's having a nap." Then she gave him a pointed look, and lowered her voice slightly. "Now, what happened, Hajime?" She only used that name when she knew things were serious.

Saitō gave her a quick summary of the events that had taken place in Shingetsu; enough of one that she was aware of the details of Eiji's situation and the basics of the rest. "I still have to report in to Kawaji," he finished. "He needs to be informed of what we managed to find out."

Tokio frowned. "Will you be back here before you leave for Kyoto again?"

Remembering the conversation he'd overheard before he'd left for Shingetsu late Thursday afternoon, Saitō echoed his wife's frown. "Yes," he said firmly. "There are certain... issues we will need to discuss. Tonight," he added.

She nodded in understanding, and then glanced back toward the house. "Well, then, I had better deal with Eiji. I will see you later."

Saitō waited until she was back in the house before he opened the gate and left.

* * *

Almost five hours later, Saitō finally arrived back at the house. He'd spent nearly an hour wandering around the city, trying to get his anger under control after the meeting he'd been summoned to once he'd finished giving Kawaji his report on the events in Shingetsu. It hadn't been easy; even if he'd been _willing_ to do what Yamagata wanted him to - which he was not - he was fully aware that it wouldn't work. And the consequences to everyone would be disastrous if he were even to try.

However, it was now quite late, and while his temper wasn't _quite_ as calm as he would have preferred, he was unlikely to lose control now if he returned home.

He opened the gate quietly, not wanting to wake Tokio or the children if they were asleep, and then blinked in surprise when he saw his wife sitting on the _engawa_, obviously waiting for him.

"This time, you're home _later_ than expected," Tokio remarked dryly.

Saitō scowled in irritation. "That is one of the things we need to discuss," he replied, sitting down next to her. "Where are the children?"

"Asleep, both of them, in Tsutomu's room," she said, smiling. "Tsutomu spent most of the evening trailing Eiji everywhere throughout the house and courtyard, and Eiji appeared to appreciate the company."

"Good." He'd been hoping something like that would happen. The responsibility of becoming a 'big brother' was likely to be exactly what Eiji needed.

"So, since they are both asleep, what is it you wanted to discuss?"

After a momentary pause, Saitō stood back up. "Inside," he said firmly. "The topic is... best spoken of within walls."

Tokio frowned, her concern clear, but obediently followed him into the house.

"Well?" she demanded, as soon as she had slid the door closed behind them.

"I had an... unexpected meeting, after I finished with the Superintendent-General," Saitō said carefully, as he walked into the kitchen.

"With?" Tokio prompted him.

"Yamagata Aritomo."

"The general of the army?" Tokio's tone was startled. "Why did he want to talk to you, and about what?"

Saitō felt his expression tighten into a snarl. "Battōsai," he replied.

Tokio didn't say anything for a minute or two, instead busying herself with getting a bowl of rice and vegetables put together. Once it was ready, she handed it to him, and sat down at the table, waiting patiently. She knew he would continue when he was ready. Saitō began eating immediately, finding himself unexpectedly hungry - but then, the last food he'd eaten had been lunch, before he'd even arrived in the city.

When he'd finished about half the bowl, he looked back up at her. "When Ōkubo requested that I approach Battōsai about the situation with Shishio, it was understood that once Shishio was dealt with, Battōsai would be ignored."

Tokio's eyes narrowed in comprehension. "And General Yamagata has a different idea?" She paused for a moment, and then frowned. "Are they asking you to kill him?" she demanded.

"No," Saitō said flatly. "Not precisely."

"'Not precisely'?" she repeated.

He shrugged, then shook his head, frowning. "I would rather not go into details that are likely to be unnecessary. If they _do_ become necessary later on, I _will_ tell you; but for now, the less you know, the safer you are."

"I don't know that I like the sound of this, Hajime," Tokio said, her frown deepening. "And if I don't need to know the details, then why are we discussing this in the first place?"

"Because I suspect that after Shishio is removed, Battōsai will have to disappear - and do it better than he did after Toba Fushimi," Saitō replied, putting his bowl down on the table. _Much__ better than he did then; likely he will either have to leave Japan entirely, or he will have to disguise himself with more than simply innocent looks and humble speech._ "And if that happens, we may have to disappear as well." He met her gaze, his expression somber. "I can - and will - start to make preparations, just in case; but you will need to prepare as well."

Saitō glanced toward their son's bedroom. "Aside from the reactions of the villagers, that was another reason I brought Eiji here. The only ones who know about him - other than Battōsai and the half-trained _kunoichi_ he picked up - are the two police officers who served as escorts for Senkaku, and they are my men; they know better than to mention him to anyone. It will be easier to hide if we have two sons, rather than one. And if it turns out that we _don't_ have to leave, we can then adopt Eiji officially."

If there was one thing about Tokio that Saitō respected above all else, even her lack of fear of his temper, it was her practicality. She didn't get upset, or demand to know why he was willing to ruin their current lives for a man who had been his greatest enemy; she simply nodded in acknowledgement of the information he'd given her, and began thinking about the problem.

"Do you have any idea how long this matter with Shishio is likely to last?" she asked after several minutes of silence, during which Saitō took the opportunity to finish his meal.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, and should arrive in Kyoto within the week," he replied immediately. "If Battōsai took my suggestion and rented horses, he and the girl should be there within three to four days. Once we're both in Kyoto, I doubt it will take more than a week, or two at most, for things to be resolved."

Tokio nodded slowly. "In that case, perhaps the best way to go about this would be to make it known that we are going to visit Morinosuke," she suggested. "That way, if we _do_ need to disappear, we can do it on the road; and if we don't... well, it has been some time since we last saw him, and he hasn't had the opportunity to meet his nephew yet."

Saitō nodded in agreement. Morinosuke lived in Fukushima, and it was known that Tokio was quite close to her brother. No one would think anything of a planned visit to him. And he could work with that... "Good." He sighed. "Now all I have to worry about is how to convince Battōsai to leave those so-called 'friends' of his."

"'So-called friends'?" Tokio repeated, giving him a sceptical look. "What makes you call them that?"

"They don't know him." Saitō shrugged. "Of course, he hasn't really _let_ them know him, but that's because they'd never accept who he really is."

It was Tokio's turn to sigh. "Are you absolutely certain, of that, Hajime? From what you've told me about Battōsai, he wouldn't trust them as much as you've implied he does if that was the case."

Saitō grimaced as he stood up from the table. "They accept the mask he presents to them, and the fact that he was a hitokiri during the Bakumatsu, and Battōsai seems to have decided that is enough for him."

"But you disagree."

Glancing over at his wife, Saitō saw that she was still sitting, and watching him with an expression of open curiosity on her face. She would never ask him directly, but indirectly...

"There are very few people I respect completely," he stated after a minute or two of silence. "Battōsai is one of those few." He frowned. "His 'friends' have no real respect for what he did during the Bakumatsu, and I don't appreciate the fact that they don't even _try_ to understand who he really is. They see 'Himura Kenshin' as a friendly clown, despite his skill with a sword, and regard 'Hitokiri Battōsai' as a bloodthirsty demon. Neither is true."

Then he took a deep breath and re-focused his attention on Tokio. "However, it remains none of my affair. All I need to worry about is persuading him that he's going to have to leave."

Tokio nodded slowly. "Hajime... what _can_ you tell me about the situation?" she asked a moment later, finally standing up herself.

Saitō thought carefully about everything that he'd overheard, and what he'd been ordered to do. She definitely couldn't be told everything - as he'd said, it was too dangerous - but if she was told the very basics...

"They want me to persuade Battōsai to do something." He paused, then snorted in contempt. "As if _anyone_ could persuade Battōsai of anything he doesn't want to do... But they think that's the reason he's gone after Shishio... because I persuaded him to do so."

"You didn't?"

"No." Saitō shook his head. "All I did was set up a situation where he was forced to listen to an explanation of the threat Shishio poses from Ōkubo. I may have given him more information, but I didn't 'persuade' him of anything.

"Now, that is definitely all I can tell you. And since I have to leave early tomorrow morning, I believe it's time we went to bed."

* * *

**Glossary**

_menhari-gata_: Folding _tessen_ (iron fan) made from silk, very thin leather, or _washi_ (a very strong Japanese paper) spread over a metal frame. (pg. 81, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai by Don Cunningham)

_Tsutomu_: Oldest son of Saitō and Tokio, born in 1876 (so around 2 years old at this point).

_Takagi Morinosuke_: Tokio's younger brother. Information from Shinsengumi Headquarters suggests that Saitō counted him a friend.

_Fukushima_: The prefecture encompassing what used to be Aizu (where the Takagi family is from).


	16. C4P3: Arrival in Kyoto

Author's Note #1: I apologize for the extra-long delay (again); RealLife has its hazards, I'm afraid!

Author's Note #2: I've fiddled a bit with Okina's character - he's actually _sane_ here... Also, there's a bit more insight into why Kenshin stayed at the Kamiya dojo.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C4P1 (fourteenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: Okina - Oniwabanshū of Kyoto**

_Part 3: Arrival in Kyoto_

"We're finally here!" Misao exclaimed, delighted, as they entered the city five days after leaving Shingetsu.

Kenshin nodded silently, feeling uncomfortably conspicuous. He'd put a bandage over his left cheek when he'd woken up, to hide the scar, but his hair was still distinctive enough to draw attention. And, unfortunately, so was the sword at his side.

They'd left the horses this morning at Otsu, where Kenshin had kept his head down and let Misao handle the details. While it had been fourteen years - and they'd never known who he was, so there should be no reason for anyone to remember him - he definitely preferred not to take the chance. The memories along the road had been bad enough.

And now, Kyoto. The city where he'd become a bloody legend.

"I feel so much more at _home_ here," Misao continued, her tone still bright and happy, as she darted ahead.

_Kyoto. Ten years of wandering since the revolution... and I never thought to set foot here again._

"Himura, this way!" Misao called from a short lane just up ahead, and Kenshin winced at the sound of his name shouted for all the city to hear, even as he followed her.

He felt tense, uneasy; the last time he'd been in Kyoto had been before the battles of Toba Fushimi, and the familiarity of the streets brought memories flooding back. His nerves were on edge, expecting at any moment to encounter a Shinsengumi patrol, despite the fact that he was well aware that it was impossible. The Shinsengumi were gone, except for Saitō, who was now an ally. The danger in the Kyoto of today was Shishio and his forces, and Kenshin certainly hoped that they wouldn't attack in the middle of a street in broad daylight-

"_Himura!_"

Kenshin blinked at Misao. Why was she yelling? As if he wasn't edgy enough already...

"Why are you so _out_ of it?" she demanded. "You've been _weird_ since we entered Kyoto!"

He winced again. "My apologies, Misao-san. I'm just finding myself... a bit overwhelmed." It was true enough; and it wasn't just the memories overwhelming him. He wasn't accustomed to seeing so many people wandering Kyoto's streets, either.

_It's no longer a war zone, and hasn't been one for ten years now,_ Kenshin reflected, as Misao returned to leading him through the streets. _I suppose most of the damage has had a chance to heal..._

Then he turned his attention to his companion. "Really, Misao-san, you should be heading home," he said. He shouldn't have too much trouble finding an inn; even if none of the ones he remembered from ten years ago were still around, he knew where to look. "Your people must be getting worried, and..." Kenshin paused as something abruptly occurred to him. "Where _is_ your home?"

Misao grinned and pointed straight ahead. "Right over there. We're here already. See?"

Following the direction of her finger, Kenshin's eyes widened slightly, taking in the sight in front of him. "An inn...?" He had a bad feeling about this...

"Yup! Aoi-ya. We're _famous_ in Kyoto," she explained. Then she leaned forward slightly. "_Gramps! Hey!_"

The elderly man who was brushing off the walk in front of the inn looked up at Misao's shout, and grinned. "_Misao!_"

Darting forward, Misao flung herself into the man's arms and gave him a hug. "I'm home!"

"So you are, so you are!" he declared, still grinning as he hugged her back; and then his smile disappeared as he gave her a stern look. "You took so long, we were terrified!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Misao exclaimed. "I was... delayed."

_By attempted robbery,_ Kenshin thought, remembering his irritation at her that night. It had eased quite a bit over the past several days, but he still wasn't happy about her actions; when he came back later to speak to the man about Aoshi, he'd make sure to mention what Misao had tried to do. He suspected that this man wouldn't let Misao get away with things like that.

Then the man turned to face him, keeping a firm hand on Misao's shoulder as he did so - and judging from the expression on her face, it was a somewhat painful grip. On purpose, Kenshin thought.

"So, you walked our Misao home?"

"Yes," Kenshin replied. "More or less."

The man - clearly Misao's guardian - snorted. "Must have been hard to be with her," he commented, causing Misao to glare up at him.

"It... had its moments," Kenshin said diplomatically. Then, hearing the sound of rapid footsteps approaching from the other side of the gate, he moved away just before it was pulled open and four people came rushing out, all of them with expressions of delight.

"Misao-chan!" the younger of the two women exclaimed.

"Look who's finally home!" added one of the men.

Kenshin felt a wistful smile cross his face as he watched them surround Misao, hugging her warmly. They were so obviously pleased to have her back safely... it reminded him, albeit a bit uncomfortably, of his friends back in Tokyo.

Still smiling, he gave the elderly man a nod and started to walk away. "Then if you'll excuse-"

"Hold on, you!" the man exclaimed. Kenshin stopped and turned back, eyeing him warily. "I haven't thanked you yet."

Kenshin was about to say that it wasn't necessary when Misao looked away from the group surrounding her. "Shiro and Kuro will make you their best dinner tonight," she declared eagerly, before they pulled her attention back. "You'll love it!"

"She's asking you to stay," her guardian added.

_I was afraid of this..._ Kenshin thought in dismay. He was about to give a polite refusal, when the man's eyes acquired a hard glint that spoke of knowledge.

"Please, make yourself at home," the man continued, in a somewhat quieter voice, "Himura Battōsai-dono."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he looked at the old man more carefully. _Of course... A friend of Aoshi's, Misao said... he __would__ be Oniwabanshū._

"Even if you hide your scars, those who can tell, can tell."

"Old man..." Kenshin started, not wanting to appear hostile, but feeling threatened at the identification.

"We'll talk details inside," the man said calmly. "Please, come in."

He reluctantly followed the man into the inn, trailed by Misao and the rest, not quite sure what to expect. The man didn't feel threatening at all, but he was _onmitsu_ - and he knew exactly who Kenshin was. It wasn't a situation Kenshin _could_ feel safe in, not here in Kyoto.

Once they were in the courtyard, Misao waved and turned toward the back of the inn. "I'm just going to have a bath - I'm _covered_ in road dust!"

"Why don't you do that," her guardian encouraged her, as the other four slipped away - presumably to attend to their duties. Then, once she had wandered off, he led Kenshin into a nearby room, closing the _shoji_ firmly behind them.

"Now," the man said. "While on the road, did she mention the _onmitsu_ Oniwabanshū?"

"Yes," Kenshin said simply. "You're..."

"As you suspect," the man replied, turning around to face him, "I, Kashiwazaki Nenji, was a member of the Oniwabanshū during the Bakumatsu. I was the spy called 'Okina'.

"When the black ships led by Perry came to Uraga in the sixth year of Kaei, the former okashira quickly realized this incident would raise questions between the emperor and the nobles about the control of Japan. What he foresaw was that Kyoto would be the centre of the struggle, and he sent me in to build an information network of our own."

He motioned for Kenshin to sit down, and sat opposite him as he continued his explanation. "Aoi-ya was opened as the headquarters for this network, but, ironically, the Edo government fell first. After the revolution," Okina added with a shrug, "it served only as a place for our comrades to run to."

"Ah," Kenshin murmured in comprehension. "So that's why Aoshi left Misao-san here."

Okina's eyes widened slightly, and Kenshin felt a flicker of surprise in his partially-masked _ki_. "You know of Aoshi-sama?"

It was going to be both easier and harder to tell of what had happened to Aoshi and the Oniwabanshū than he had thought, Kenshin reflected ruefully. Easier, because he knew now that Okina would understand the subtleties that Misao probably would not; and harder, because Okina clearly knew and respected Aoshi not just as a friend, but as the okashira. Bowing his head slightly, he started, "There's something you should know..."

It didn't take very long to explain the details of the battles with Aoshi and the Oniwabanshū, and what Takeda Kanryū had done. Once he finished, Okina's expression had become somber.

"...Is that right," the _onmitsu_ murmured, his gaze focused on his hands where they were folded in his lap. "Han'nya and the rest dead... Aoshi-sama missing..."

"I... did not tell Misao any of this," Kenshin admitted quietly. "I thought it best that she not learn of it from me, considering my involvement in events."

Okina nodded in understanding, then looked up at Kenshin with a hint of a gleam in his eyes. "By the way, Battōsai - or do you prefer Himura-dono?" he checked.

"Himura Kenshin, please, Okina-san," Kenshin requested firmly. "The name Battōsai... is not one that should be heard here in Kyoto again." _Not that that will stop Saitō..._ came the rueful thought. But then, very few things stopped Saitō from doing or saying whatever he wanted to.

"Very well," Okina agreed. "Now, the reason you've shown up in Kyoto for the first time in ten years... it wouldn't have anything to do with your successor, Shishio Makoto, would it?"

Kenshin felt slightly surprised, but reminded himself that he should have expected Okina to know as soon as he'd figured out the man was Oniwabanshū.

"The network we built then is still alive," Okina explained. "Whatever goes on in Kyoto, both in front and behind the scenes, I know. It's kind of like a hobby now.

"When I heard that man was still alive, and up to suspicious deeds in Kyoto, I didn't believe it; but, now that you've come, it's a different story." Then Okina grinned. "So, for bringing our Misao back safely, and for witnessing the end of the Oniwabanshū, I shall extend to you my friendship and my help!"

_Oh, no..._ This was exactly what he _hadn't_ wanted! Okina might be _onmitsu_, but he was still elderly... and Misao was barely more than a child, not fully trained. For either of them to go against the forces Shishio seemed to have...

"I _like_ the Kyoto of today!" Okina continued brightly. "Once again, I will stand up to protect the city!"

"Wait a second-" Kenshin protested.

"Don't you worry about Aoi-ya," Okina interrupted him. "There's no need. Shiro, Kuro, Okon, Omasu - all ex-Oniwabanshū. They can easily defend Misao and themselves."

"Still-"

"I won't hear another word!" Okina declared, holding out his hand to stop Kenshin. "I'm the one who raised Misao, after all. She learned all her stubbornness from me."

Considering just how stubborn Misao was, that was definitely saying something, Kenshin thought in dismay. It was true that the Oniwabanshū information network _could_ be extremely useful... it might help counter Shishio's own network... And if the four others were fully trained, Okina was right - they _should_ be able to at least defend themselves and Misao...

He sighed. "Then, your offer is accepted," he said reluctantly. "With one condition."

"Anything you'd like." Okina's tone was eager, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. Kenshin found himself wondering if perhaps the old man was bored...

"Might your information network search for a couple of people?"

"Search?" Okina repeated.

"Yes," Kenshin affirmed. "Arai Shakkū... and Hiko Seijūrō." He'd thought long and hard over the past few days about how he was going to handle the advantages Sōjirō had over him, and had come to only one conclusion: he was going to have to go back to Hiko, and request that his training be finished. "Please find them... as soon as you can."

"Agreed!" Okina declared. "Now," he added, standing back up, "let's get you set up with a room, and then enjoy a celebration dinner, shall we?"

Kenshin stayed seated. "There is... one more thing I think you should be informed of, Okina-san," he said carefully.

Okina frowned. "What?"

"How much do you know of Misao's activities during her search for Aoshi?"

Okina's frown deepened as he sat back down. "Why? What happened?" he demanded.

Kenshin took a deep breath. "When I found her," he began, "she was attempting to rob a group of bandits who had just stolen money from a currency exchange in Odawara..."

* * *

Kenshin was up at dawn the next morning despite having gone to sleep very late, the knowledge that he was in Kyoto bringing back habits from ten years ago. As it turned out, he was lucky that he _had_ risen that early, because just as he was finishing tying his hakama, the _shoji_ to his room slid open to reveal Okina and Misao.

"Wake up, Himura!" Misao exclaimed brightly. She'd evidently got over not being allowed to speak at all during dinner. "It's _morning_, and-"

Kenshin gave an inquiring, "Hmm?" as he looked over at them.

"Oh, were you already awake?" Misao said, pouting a bit. "I wanted to see your sleepy face."

Kenshin blinked, thoroughly taken aback, but thought better of replying.

"If you're ready, Himura-kun, let's go," Okina put in, turning back toward the hall.

"Go?" Kenshin repeated, noting that Okina had switched from using '-dono' to '-kun' overnight. He wondered whether that was to avoid letting Misao know exactly who he was - she'd heard Shishio's little speech about not wanting to face the rurouni, and so knew he'd been hitokiri, though they hadn't discussed it - or if Okina had another reason for the change in address.

"Kyoto's changed a lot in ten years," Okina explained, winking at Kenshin as he put on a hat. "I'll spend today showing you around." He and Misao started down the _engawa_ toward the entrance of the inn, forcing Kenshin to follow. "We'll grab lunch at a local hot-pot house, 'Shirobeko'."

"_Yay!_" Misao exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. "I've been wanting to eat there!"

"Okina-san," Kenshin started to protest. It was one thing to accept their help when it came to accommodations and information gathering; but for them to risk being seen with him, when Shishio would undoubtedly know within hours, if he didn't already, that Kenshin was in the city... he couldn't risk it.

"Oh, yes - about the people you're looking for," Okina continued, looking back at Kenshin, the expression on his face and the sudden sharpness in his _ki_ telling the hitokiri that he wasn't going to allow Kenshin to object. "I made arrangements during the night."

"People?" Misao asked curiously. "Who? Wha-?"

Before she could get a full head of steam up, Kenshin said firmly, "It has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with- _Ooh!_" Misao glared at him, her expression strongly resembling the one Kaoru wore when she wanted to thump him with her bokken.

Even as she did that, the _shoji_ just ahead of them slid open, and the larger of the male _onmitsu_ - Kuro - held a twist of paper out to Okina. Okina tore it open and read through it, and Kenshin's attention focused sharply on the elderly man as he tensed.

"Misao, I'm sorry," Okina said quietly, not looking up from the paper. "We'll go to the Shirobeko another time.

"Himura-kun."

Kenshin looked at him directly.

"We have found one of the people you're looking for. To be more precise," Okina looked up and met his gaze, "we've confirmed his death."

_Arai, it has to be - it can't __possibly__ be Hiko. I'm sure I would have heard of a skilled swordsman being killed, and Shishō's too stubborn to die of natural causes, even if he were old enough for that to happen._

"Arai Shakkū, the swordsmith who forged your sakabatō, died eight years ago."

"'Swordsmith'?" Misao repeated. Then her eyes widened. "I get it! You were going to have him make a replacement for the sakabatō!"

Kenshin nodded silently, wondering even as he did so what he should do now. He still didn't want to use a regular katana, but it was beginning to seem more and more likely that he would be given no choice.

And Misao saw that as well. "But... if he's dead..." the girl murmured, "the sakabatō will _never_ be..." Her voice trailed off.

"However!" Okina put in, opening the outside gate and gesturing for Kenshin and Misao to follow him out. "There is still hope!"

Kenshin gave him an inquiring look.

"Arai Shakkū," Okina started, as they turned left and began walking along the street beside the Aoi-ya. "He was a highly-honoured weapons-maker during the Bakumatsu. But, as years went by, he devoted himself not to 'blades that cut', but to 'blades that kill', and thereafter was shunned by the rest of the sword-crafting community."

"A smith who specialized in _killing swords_ forged the sakabatō?" Misao asked, sounding puzzled. "I don't get it."

"A man's life can at times seem quite contradictory," Okina told her, then shot a sly glance at Kenshin. "Right, Himura-kun?"

Kenshin didn't respond to that, but he found himself wondering just how much Okina knew about his life over the past ten years. Between his use of '-kun' and this last remark, the implication was that he was aware of quite a bit.

"To continue," Okina went on after a moment or two. "According to our sources, Shakkū had one son - Arai Seikū - to whom he taught all he knew. He was expected to become a swordsmith himself; but in the Meiji era, he couldn't make a living at that, so he sells tools like scythes and knives to support himself.

"Perhaps," the elderly _onmitsu_ added, gesturing to the house right in front of them, "this man can craft a new sakabatō."

_I can hope so..._ Kenshin thought, as Okina slid the gate open. _The need becomes more urgent with each passing hour, and I really do __not__ want to have to use a katana..._

"Excuse the-" Okina started, only to stop short in shock at the sight of the only person in the courtyard - a toddler sitting on the _engawa_.

Kenshin knelt down in front of the child, smiling as the young boy held out his hands and said, "Shake!"

_'Shake'?_ Kenshin wondered for a moment, and then his smile widened as he realized what the boy wanted. Extending his hand, he let the child grab it and shake it up and down. "You like to shake hands, do you?" he asked warmly.

"Shake, shake!" the boy repeated, grinning at him.

Behind him, the door to the house slid open, and a young woman stepped out. "Now, Iori, don't bother them," she scolded gently.

Kenshin looked up at her, still smiling. "There is no need to worry, he isn't bothering us," he assured her. He looked at the boy again. "He's a very friendly child."

"Yes, he is," the woman agreed, smiling herself. "Now, what may I help you with?"

He had come prepared for the possibility that they would be heading out to find Arai Shakkū; a tray had been left outside his door this morning with his breakfast, and he'd taken a daikon from it to use to test the edge of any blade offered. However, some instinct told him it was best not to approach his request directly.

"If a kitchen knife might be presented," Kenshin requested politely, ignoring the confused stare Okina gave him, "and given a brief test of edge?"

"Of course," she replied, and lifted up a box that had been resting against one of the windows. Opening it, she pulled out a kitchen knife and extended it to Kenshin, and then picked up her son and sat down.

"Thank you," Kenshin said, and pulled the daikon out of his _gi_. Holding it in one hand, he concentrated for a moment, and then brought the knife down at a very precise angle, cutting the daikon in half. Placing the knife on the counter in front of him, he then brought the two halves of the daikon back together, and let go of one.

Both halves stayed together.

Kenshin wasn't sure whether he'd expected it to work or not, but the fact that it had meant that Arai Seikū was a _very_ skilled smith indeed. _To put such an edge on a kitchen knife,_ he reflected, as Okina explained what he had just done to Misao, _I suspect he is more skilled, even, than his father._ And as Okina had mentioned, Shakkū had been _very_ skilled.

"Madam, might Seikū-dono be available?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes..." she replied slowly, her expression somewhat wary.

Puzzled and not liking that expression - not here in Kyoto, with so many memories of bloodshed lingering - Kenshin hastened to explain. He was aware that someone else - most likely Seikū himself - was listening from the side of the house, and so pitched his voice to carry. "If Seikū-dono might craft a sword, it would be most greatly appreciated indeed," he explained.

"Yes..." she said slowly, "but..."

The presence Kenshin had sensed at the side of the house stepped around the corner then. The woman looked over at him, her expression and _ki_ radiating relief. "Seikū."

"Hello," the young man standing there said, his voice soft. "I am Arai Seikū."

Misao frowned, leaning close. "You don't look much like a smith," she said, her tone almost critical.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," the young man replied, his tone sheepish. Then he looked over at Kenshin. "I heard your story from outside," he said. "It seems you'd like me to forge you a sword, but..." He bowed low. "I apologize. I have quit making swords. For that, you will have to go elsewhere."

Kenshin wasn't sure exactly what he felt at that. The sense of the young man's _ki_ told him that the decision was one Seikū felt quite strongly about, and Kenshin had no desire to force anyone to do something against their wishes. At the same time, the need for a sakabatō _was_ urgent, and he had no idea who else to go to for that. Perhaps Okina, being who he was, would know of some other good swordsmiths...

Meanwhile, Misao appeared to be quite upset. "_What?_" she demanded, glaring at Seikū furiously.

Okina grabbed her and pulled her back, then asked in a much more restrained fashion, "May we hear your reason?"

Seikū nodded. "If you've come to get a sword of me," he started, "you must know that my father, Shakkū, created weapons of death. Father used to say all the time, 'The swords I make will create a new age.'

"But I didn't like my father's philosophy," he continued. "Those swords intended to _create_ that new age took many peoples' lives. What kind of 'new age' does one forge from human blood? That, I could never understand."

_One doesn't create a new age from human blood at all. One merely destroys the old one,_ Kenshin thought grimly. He had never deceived himself as to what his role as hitokiri had been. _To create a new age takes more than blood and the destruction of the old - it takes men with strength of will and the desire for true peace for all. And the ability to translate the lessons of the past into hope for the future._

_Men like Ōkubo was..._

"It was a terrible time then, so perhaps it couldn't be helped," Seikū went on, "but this is Meiji. An age of peace, at last. The samurai have given up their swords; so, similarly, I have given up sword-making, and have decided to live _peacefully_, crafting tools for a living."

"I see," Okina said, his expression intent. "Unlike your father, your philosophy is _peace_."

"I don't know about 'philosophy'," Seikū admitted, "but I _do_ like peace. Doesn't everyone?"

_One could only wish they did,_ Kenshin thought unhappily, remembering Shishio's speech in Shingetsu village. _Unfortunately, there are always those who do not, who prefer the bloodshed and fear._ Nonetheless, he would _not_ ask Seikū to betray his beliefs.

Unfortunately, it appeared Misao was not quite so restrained. Pulling away from Okina, she yelled, "_Idiot!_ You are _so_ naïve! 'Doesn't everyone?' This city's _full_ of people who-"

Kenshin slapped his hand firmly over her mouth before she could continue, and gave Seikū a slight, apologetic bow. "Understood, Seikū-dono," he declared calmly. "Sorry to have asked." He gave both Seikū and his wife a smile. "We'll be leaving now."

"'Leaving'? Himura!" Misao protested, her voice muffled by the hand Kenshin kept over her mouth as he dragged her away after Okina; he didn't want her saying anything else that might upset the young couple any more than they already had been. "_Hey!_"

"From his heart, what Seikū-dono wishes for is _peace_," Kenshin said firmly, continuing to ignore her protests. It was, as Misao had pointed out, naïve - but he could understand. After all, he had been the one to take an oath never to kill again after Toba Fushimi; and even if that oath no longer applied - hadn't applied for close to nine years now - he still very much preferred to avoid killing.

Which, of course, brought his thoughts straight back to the matter of his broken sakabatō - and the fact that Misao was still protesting.

"Even if it is a sakabatō, and not for killing, it's still a weapon," he pointed out to her. "It would be _wrong_ to ask him to craft such a thing." She sighed heavily, and Kenshin released her. "We'll simply have to start our search over."

"You're too nice!" Misao snapped at him. "That guy was a _weakling_! Didn't you see how he looked? If we'd pushed harder, we could have _made_ him!"

Kenshin looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "No," he said firmly. "First of all, Seikū-dono's life should _not_ be overturned for my own personal ends." _After all, if need be... if we can't find another smith who will forge a sakabatō... I __will__ take up a katana again. I definitely do not want to, but there are times when one has no choice._

"That's what I _mean_!" Misao growled at him. "You're too _nice_!"

At that, Okina broke into the argument. "Second, even if we forced him to make it," the elderly _onmitsu_ pointed out, the firmness in his voice equal to Kenshin's, "what sort of blade would it be without the maker's heart?" He gave Misao a very sharp look. "Seta Sōjirō already broke one sakabatō. To face him or Shishio again may mean Himura-kun's _death_. A sakabatō that is sakabatō in _shape alone_ is nothing! The new blade must be _superior_ to the blade that was broken!"

Then he sighed. "If you can't figure that much out," he added, his tone one of disgust, "what a _stupid_ girl I have raised!"

Misao gave an incoherent yell and kicked at him.

Kenshin smiled wistfully as the two of them argued. It was good to see that, although the situation was definitely serious, there could still be laughter.

That was something he had learned from Kaoru, Yahiko and Sanosuke. Yes, his rurouni act encouraged laughter... but when the situation had involved fighting, he had always - even up to the point when he'd rescued Yahiko from the yakuza - been utterly serious. It wasn't until he'd begun watching the antics of his friends that he'd understood just how much laughter could help even in the tensest and most serious situations.

At the same time, however, he found himself thinking about the young couple they'd left only minutes ago, and their son, who had been so delighted to shake his hand... and he also found himself remembering what he'd heard of some of Shishio's kills during the Bakumatsu, and the reasons he'd left his friends back in Tokyo.

_If he'd agreed to forge a new sakabatō... would Shishio's men have left him alive? Would __any__ be left alive? Shishio - and Sōjirō - may have both said that they wish to fight me, and I would need a sword for that... but that does not necessarily mean they won't harm any who help me._

He didn't know. But he would make certain that any other smith they approached was warned about the possibility, and given the chance to refuse because of that.

_And then, once that is done - whether I manage to get another sakabatō, or am forced to use a katana - I will leave Aoi-ya. And this time, I will __not__ allow Okina to change my mind._

With that decided, Kenshin found himself relaxing slightly, as though some of Kyoto's weight of memories was eased; and he was able to laugh out loud as Misao chased Okina back to the gate of Aoi-ya.

* * *

**Glossary**

_Kaei_: The era that began around the end of February 1848 and lasted until the end of November 1854. (Note that the manga is incorrect - Perry's ships arrived in Kaei 6 - 1853 - not Kaei 3, which was 1850.)


	17. C4P4: Sakabatou Shinuchi

Author's Note #1: Sorry, gang - I've not been well of late, which was: A) what took this part so long to be posted; and B) why it wasn't posted last week, when I originally planned to do it.

Author's Note #2: I just discovered two weeks ago (May 11th) that for some reason, the last part (Chp. 4 Pt. 3) didn't load completely; that has been corrected and it is now complete.

Author's Note #3: There's a hint near the end of this part about what prompted the relinquishing of Kenshin's no-kill vow.

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page). Individual chapter disclaimer (re dialogue and actions) in C4P1 (fourteenth page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: Okina - Oniwabanshū of Kyoto**

_Part 4: Sakabatō Shinuchi_

Kenshin frowned slightly as he finished reading through the reports Okina had given him on the activities of Shishio's people in Kyoto. He had already read most of it in the report that the police had assembled, the one Saitō had given him back in Tokyo. There _was_ some new information, but not much of it. And nothing to indicate where Shishio's hideout might be, or what his plans were.

_Hopefully, Senkaku knows at least some of that information,_ Kenshin thought grimly. The sense that they were running out of time had been starting to grow since his battle with Sōjirō, and was becoming more and more oppressive every day. _And any information that he does know... there's little doubt Saitō will get it from him._

Not that he approved of torture, even when it came to interrogating those who exercised it themselves, or whose cruelty did things worse than torture. And he was aware - thanks to a conversation he'd overheard once, about thirteen years ago, between Saitō and Okita - that Saitō didn't like or entirely approve of it either. However, like it or not, _approve_ of it or not, Saitō was perfectly willing to use torture if he saw it as the only way to get information he considered necessary.

He was distracted from the darkness of his thoughts by the sound of wings approaching. Looking up, Kenshin saw a pigeon fly in the open window over to a small stand. Settling down on it, the bird then tapped a bell with its beak, causing the instrument to make a surprisingly loud noise.

The _shoji_ slid open and Okina came hurrying in, walking straight over to the bird's stand.

"Okina-san?" Kenshin questioned him, curious as to what was going on.

"This is Lu Number One, from Shige," the _onmitsu_ said, picking the pigeon up and untying the twist of paper Kenshin abruptly noticed it bore on its leg. "These are the nerves of the Oniwabanshū's body," he continued his explanation as he carefully put the bird back on its stand, and then filled a bowl right next to it with seeds and a few grains of rice. "With 141 carrier pigeons all over Kyoto, we can communicate with the speed of a flying bird."

Opening it up, Okina blinked. "_Oh._ It's from Misao." A slight frown crossed his face. "I knew she'd left, but what-"

He stopped talking abruptly, and Kenshin felt a sudden surge of surprise and concern flare through the _onmitsu_'s _ki_. Then Okina folded the note back up and looked directly at him, his expression grim. "Seikū's son... has been kidnapped by one of Shishio's men."

Kenshin's eyes widened in shock and alarm, and he felt them flame amber as he stared at the note in Okina's hands.

A moment later, he had seized the note from the _onmitsu_ and had begun running toward the window, building up speed. There was a roof he could jump to easily, just across the street; he'd noticed it automatically yesterday, when they'd first arrived, and again when he'd settled himself in this room to study the Oniwabanshū reports on Shishio. Old habits and instincts once again, checking for escape routes and angles of attack.

"Himura-kun, _stop_!" Okina shouted from behind him. Kenshin heard him, but didn't listen. He would _not_ allow a child to suffer for Shishio's schemes. "Your sakabatō is broken and useless! You won't be able to fight even if you go! You'll only be killed! _Himura-kun!_"

A leap out the window, with the speed he'd built up from his run, and Kenshin landed easily on the opposite roof. He sped across three more, getting out of Okina's sight to prevent the old man from setting the other _onmitsu_ at Aoi-ya on him, before opening the note Misao had sent and reading through it.

_'Seikū's son has been kidnapped by one of Shishio's men and taken to the place where the last of Shakkū's swords is located - the Hakusan Shrine. -Misao'_

Kenshin tucked the note into his sleeve and raised his head, looking around. From the roof he'd ended up on, it was easy to see the pattern of Kyoto's streets; that was the reason he'd chosen this one to stop on. And seeing the pattern, his memories of ten years ago - when he'd known every nook and cranny in the city, how to get to and escape from them in the swiftest fashion possible - came flooding back. It took him only seconds to locate the Hakusan Shrine; and it would take him less than half an hour to get there.

* * *

Kenshin stood at the top of the stairs, just inside the _tori'i_, waiting, furious - though he'd let the amber fade from his eyes, soothed somewhat by the familiarity of walking the roofs. He didn't bother going into the shrine - there was still the chance that another smith might be able to forge a sakabatō, and he was more concerned about saving Iori than getting a sword. He was fully aware that it would be dangerous to face any of Shishio's men without a whole sword, but if need be, he still had his _saya_ - and he could use that as a weapon if he had to. He'd done so against both Jin-e and Saitō, after all.

But he wondered about the significance of Shakkū's last sword. Why would Misao have mentioned it specifically?

He'd been there for a good quarter of an hour or so when he sensed a sharp, eager _ki_ approaching, accompanied by the mistiness that indicated a young child - a very frightened and upset child. His eyes narrowed as he set himself firmly between the _tori'i_ and the shrine itself. No matter why this man had come here - whether it was a trap for Kenshin, or had to do with Shakkū's last sword, as Misao had implied - he would not get it without surrendering Iori safely.

A minute later, he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and a voice complaining. Concentrating, Kenshin found himself easily able to distinguish words.

"-Roads are so confusing," the man climbing the stairs was muttering, the sound of his voice interspersed with a child's quiet sobs, which sent Kenshin's rage from fire to the hitokiri's ice.

"'Shakkū's last sword.'" The man appeared - a bushy head of yellow-dyed hair first, then a narrow face, with Iori hanging from a sword slung over his shoulder, and at least two more swords slung over his back. "Wonder what sort of killing _masterpiece_-?"

He stopped abruptly, staring at Kenshin.

Iori, surprised enough by the sudden lack of movement that he stopped crying, looked as well; and Kenshin saw a watery smile cross the boy's face. "Shake!"

The man's eyes went to the hilt of the sakabatō, and he looked thoughtful. "I'm guessing you're not a pilgrim to the shrine," he remarked. "Who are you?"

Without saying a word, each movement very deliberate, Kenshin reached up to the bandage on his left cheek. Not moving his eyes from the man's face, he tore it off with a sudden jerk, revealing his scar.

The man's eyes widened as he took in the revelation. "A scar... like a cross..."

"Let the boy go." Kenshin's tone was quiet, and icy cold, but it didn't seem to have any impact on the man in front of him.

"A scar like a cross on your cheek," the man repeated. "You're the famous Hitokiri Battōsai." He looked Kenshin up and down, and then snorted. "Heh. You're smaller than I thought. You're almost... girlish."

Kenshin ignored the words, obviously meant as an insult; his appearance had in fact _helped_ with his job as hitokiri, since no one had ever associated him with the infamous 'Hitokiri Battōsai'; at least not until the Shinsengumi had begun spreading his description. And even after that, very few had believed someone just over five _shaku_ tall was much of a threat unless they'd seen him attack; which was, he suspected, part of the reason the rumours painted him as having been seven or eight _shaku_ tall.

"Ah, well," the man continued, shrugging. "So, you're after Shakkū's last sword as well?"

"No," Kenshin said flatly. "I seek a different blade. If it's Shakkū's sword you want, go on and take it. But let the boy go first."

"Mm... Trying to avoid a fight, are you?" the man asked, as he walked over toward the trees that lined the path to the shrine. Kenshin tensed, made uneasy by the action. What was he doing?

"I'm not surprised," he continued, looking back over his shoulder at Kenshin. "The sakabatō you depend upon is broken, so you're _afraid_ to fight me."

_Arrogant,_ Kenshin thought grimly. _I don't like this..._

"Well, I don't see any fun in beating someone who can't fight back... but Shishio-sama _has_ said, when facing an enemy, I either kill him, or I die." He held the sword Iori was hanging from straight up, and Kenshin saw him unlock the sword from the _saya_.

Kenshin's eyes widened in shock as he realized what the man was about to do, and he took a step forward, just as the man launched the _saya_ - and Iori - straight up.

He felt a flicker of relief when the material cradling the toddler caught on a thick branch - as the man he faced had no doubt intended.

"And," the man added, grinning as though he was enjoying himself as the _saya_ fell back onto the path, "even when I _do_ get the sword, how much fun will it be without something to test the _edge_ on?" His grin widened, and he licked his lips. "I can't think of something I've wanted to cut more.

"So sorry, but I reject your demand. The kid stays where he is, and we have a fair fight."

The icy fury Kenshin felt froze even more at those words, and his eyes narrowed. "You know of the broken sword..." he started, his voice the quiet tone that had terrified Kyoto ten years ago, "...you take a hostage... and that's 'fair'?

"You're a twisted man."

"Oh, I'm not so twisted," the man started, raising the sword he held in his hand. "I just," he continued, lunging forward with a move that was laughably easy to read, "have a sense of humour!"

Kenshin raised his _saya_ to deflect the blade, even as the man yelled, "Gotcha!"

_Aside from Sōjirō,_ Kenshin mused in irritation, as he side-stepped the man's lunge completely, _I seem to be fighting imbeciles._ It was almost enough to make him sympathize completely with Saitō's hopes of a proper duel between them. "If you wish to get in with a thrust," he said out loud, "come up with something better than Saitō's _Gatotsu_." He swung his _saya_ back, striking at the man's back. "_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū! Ryūkansen!_"

The man crashed to the ground, and Iori, up in the tree, gave a soft gurgle and said, "Shake!"

The man wasn't out yet - the swords he'd worn on his back had prevented him from feeling the full force of the blow, Kenshin knew - but he turned to give Iori a reassuring smile nonetheless.

"_Mm..._ You're better than you look," the man said from behind him, and Kenshin heard him get to his feet. "That would've been ugly without my beloved swords on my back."

_It would have broken your ribs, and knocked you unconscious - at the very least,_ Kenshin thought grimly, hearing a slight _crack_ that was probably the man getting his neck back into proper alignment. _At worst, it would have broken your spine and paralyzed you._

"And these weapons of mine bring a very high price," the man continued.

Kenshin turned to face him, expressionless, and watched as he took two rather odd-looking swords out of their sheaths... and put them together.

"This is an _earlier_ sword of Shakkū's: _Renbatō_, 'Repeater'," he continued, holding the combined sword up, pointing it directly at Kenshin, and took a step forward. "Two wounds so close together are hard to sew up. So, even if I _don't_ hit a vital spot, I leave a wound that festers... until _disease_ kills you!"

With that, he lunged forward.

_Imbeciles indeed,_ Kenshin mused, not bothering to move away from the lunge - which he could easily have done, as this move was broadcast as blatantly as the previous one. Instead, he waited until the man was fully committed to his strike...

...And raised his _saya_ so that it slipped in between the two blades of the sword.

The man stared at him in utter disbelief, and Kenshin let a hint of contempt leak into his expression... and his voice. "Is this all you are?" he asked coolly - this man seemed to be very much like Isurugi Raijūta, except that he was focused on swords, rather than special moves - and then grasping the _saya_ just above the _kurikata_, he turned it... and broke the blades.

Then he crouched down slightly, and attacked with a variation of the move he'd used on Senkaku. "_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū! Ryūshōsen!_" The blow hit the man right in the _suigetsu_, and he went crashing to the ground.

Kenshin sighed, turned around, and started walking toward the tree Iori was held in. "Sorry to make you wait," he told the boy. "You'll be down in a moment."

Then, to his shock, the man's voice came from behind him, accompanied by the sound of someone standing up. "You were right. I guess I've been fooling around too much."

_How is it possible that he isn't harmed?_ Kenshin wondered, puzzled, as he glanced back at the man to see him brushing himself off. _I __know__ I hit his __suigetsu__..._

"Shake?" Iori said, his tone uncertain.

"Sorry, Iori," Kenshin said, giving the boy a reassuring smile. "Looks like this will take a bit longer."

A furious hostility suddenly flared through the man's _ki_, and Kenshin tensed automatically.

"Stop talking to that stupid kid and look at me!" the man yelled. "Disrespect me and I'll start by slicing him in half!"

Kenshin's fury broke through the bounds he'd set on it at the beginning of this encounter at that, and he knew his eyes were blazing amber as he turned around to look at the man.

Once again, his opponent didn't seem the slightest bit impressed. A mistake. "So, you've got a battle-face too, eh? How cruel to have kept it hidden so long. If you'd shown it from the beginning, I wouldn't have held back either."

Then the man pulled off his kimono, revealing a set of steel bands wrapped around his waist and lower chest.

"Steel belts," Kenshin murmured in understanding. "_That's_ what stopped the _Ryūshōsen_."

A moment later, he sensed several people approaching. He didn't look away from his opponent; but then, he didn't need to: Okina's _ki_ was a half-masked wavering concern, Misao's was bright and anxious, and the _ki_ of both Seikū and his wife radiated terror for Iori.

The sound of their footsteps as they came running up the stairs echoed slightly, but the man didn't look over at them either as they reached the top.

Then Seikū's _ki_ flared with shock. "This... is not good!" the smith blurted out loudly. "The sword he has wrapped around his waist! It's a killing sword my father created in his later days - back at the pinnacle of his skill!"

Seikū was right... this wasn't good. Kenshin was confident of his own skill, but the fact remained that he had only a broken sakabatō, a _saya_, and his wits to deal with a completely unknown weapon. And a sword that long, and flexible enough to wrap around one's waist... that made it something extraordinary.

At the same time, it was unlikely that the man would be able to defeat him, unknown sword or not. Wound him, yes - Kenshin wouldn't lie to himself about that - but not defeat him. Kenshin knew his own skill, knew that events since his fight with Udō Jin-e had been steadily bringing him back to the peak he'd been at during the Bakumatsu, and had gotten a measure of this man's abilities during their fight so far. The blond was _not_ as good as he thought he was.

Even as he sensed both Okina and Misao's _ki_ ringing with shock, the man gave a slight bow of his head. "They call me 'Sword Hunter Chō', of the Juppongatana. Now, see my true skill!"

_The Juppongatana!_ Kenshin knew the term - it had been in the report Saitō had given him. This man was a member of Shishio's inner circle!

"Here I come!" Chō added.

"Himura, watch out!" Misao shouted. "He's still got a sword hidden!"

Kenshin ignored the shout; he'd already heard that information, he didn't need it repeated. Instead, he watched steadily as Chō unwound the sword from his waist, and flung it out, missing him...

And then he sensed air moving behind him, and turned his head slightly to see what was causing it...

And stared in shock at the sight of the point of the sword coming back toward him!

"Well?" Chō demanded, his _ki_ bright with triumph. "This is my favourite sword of all - _Hakujin_, 'The Thin One'!"

Kenshin just managed to pull away from it, feeling the edge brush too close to his cheek for comfort.

"_No!_" Seikū shouted abruptly from the _tori'i_. "If you dodge it too closely-"

Before he could finish whatever it was he was saying, Chō grinned, shifted the hand holding the hilt slightly...

...And Kenshin felt a spark of pain as the sword's point jabbed down into his thigh, sending him to his knees.

"Just what I wanted," Chō declared, grinning. "Now you won't be able to dodge around like a rat."

One hand touching the gash in his leg to determine how bad it was, Kenshin stared at him for a long, silent moment... a moment that was broken by the sound of Seikū's voice.

"The sword called _Hakujin_ was forged as thin as possible without losing its strength. The tip was made slightly heavier, allowing the wielder to manipulate the blade with a small turn of the wrist."

_Useful information,_ Kenshin acknowledged silently, hiding a wince as he tensed his legs in preparation for moving when the next attack came; _though it would have been more useful if I'd known beforehand..._ He wouldn't have his full speed - the slash was serious enough to affect that - but he could still move, and there had to be a way to deal with this sword...

"With that leg, dodging the Thin One's instant changes of direction is not possible!" Seikū added.

_Difficult - __very__ difficult - but not completely impossible._ Kenshin re-focused on Chō, whose _ki_ suggested he was about to attack again. _But it would definitely be better to handle any attacks he makes in a different way._ He could control the pain, but he had no desire to do any more damage to his leg than had already been done.

Chō grinned. "I haven't had an audience in a long time," he remarked, glancing at the four non-combatants arrayed by the _tori'i_. "So, let's give them something to entertain them, and get to the _climax_." Raising the hilt so that it was pointing straight up, he twirled the sword around his body as if it were a heavy whip. "'Orochi' pose," he declared, and his grin widened. "Take _this_!"

With that, he lashed the sword out again, moving it as though the blade were a wave heading directly for Kenshin.

He wasn't going to be able to dodge this attack, Kenshin knew; it was aimed directly at him, and the blade was moving too quickly to evade. _So... deflect!_ Lifting his _saya_ up, he put it directly in the path the blade was following, and used it to reduce the momentum the tip had built up and shift its path away from him.

Unfortunately, in the process, the blade managed to pierce right through the _saya_, cutting it in half.

_Kuso!_ Kenshin was starting to wonder if he'd been a bit overconfident at the start of this fight. Not that he thought he was wrong about Chō's skill in comparison to his own; but it was clear that Chō had a great deal of experience in using this particular sword, and together with the fact that Kenshin _didn't_ have a sword, that experience compensated for Chō's overall lack of skill.

"Nice move!" the other man taunted him. "Too bad there's more..."

The blade twisted in mid-air as Chō turned his hand, and Kenshin realized it was aimed right at his heart this time. He _had_ to move!

As the sword came down, he ducked down and rolled out the way. The tip of the blade hit the paving, and sent pieces of stone flying into the air. Several hit him, bruising his ribs and both legs. And the cut in his thigh stung even more now.

Coming back up to his knees, Kenshin looked over at Chō. _I __need__ a sword. If I had one, I would be able to defeat him without taking too much damage,_ he thought ruefully. There were several holes in Chō's defense, but between his lack of a sword and the wound in his leg, he wasn't able to take advantage of them.

The four watchers were getting more distressed, and Kenshin could sense the start of an argument, but he couldn't spare enough of his attention to listen; he had to concentrate on figuring out a way to rescue Iori and deal with Chō.

Then Chō lashed out with the blade again. Kenshin pulled back, but the edge of the blade sliced into his forehead - no more than a slight cut, but if he wasn't careful, the blood would blind him. Raising one hand, he wiped at it, then looked back at Chō.

"You don't give up," the blond said, frowning. "Your courage is becoming pathetic."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed at that. There _had_ to be a way to end this, and soon. His eyes flicked to Iori for a moment, then to the argument going on between Misao and Seikū, before returning his gaze to Chō, who was glaring at him.

"Those eyes _annoy_ me," the blond snarled. He took a step forward, the sword coiling around in front of him. "Don't you get it? The game's _over_, you know."

_Game? Is that how he thinks of this?_ That might, just might, be enough to gain him the advantage... the same way he'd gained it over Raijūta, despite his wounds... A plan began forming; one that was risky, but nonetheless possible.

"Why sacrifice your life for one worthless child?" Chō continued, and Kenshin felt his emotions turn icy again at the words. "Well?"

"Many years ago, in the name of country, many lives were taken." Placing one hand on the paving stones in front of him, Kenshin pushed himself up.

"Bragging now?" Chō asked, taking another step forward, and then laughed. "Ha! Reminiscing about your past glory! That _is_ pathetic!"

"So many battles, so much bloodshed... never undone. Now we've reached a new era... for the moment," he added quietly, a bit darkly.

"The time for peace has come," Kenshin continued, shaking himself out of the foreboding sensation he'd just felt. "So much so, that a child may grow knowing _nothing_ of battles and bloodshed. He may be worthless to you, but to me, he is the child of an age that must _not_ be destroyed." Kenshin's eyes narrowed further, and he knew they looked as though they were glowing. "Even if it costs me my life, Iori _will_ be returned safely to Seikū and his wife." That was his priority.

He could sense a mingling of shock and confusion in Seikū's _ki_, and - hoping the smith would understand the message - looked over at him. _Wait until his attention is drawn, then grab Iori while you can._

"You act like some kind of _hero_, making me the 'bad guy'," Chō complained.

_No, your own actions have done that._

"Now I _am_ annoyed." He raised _Hakujin_. "All right, let's end this now. I'll create a new world with my swords, under Shishio-sama!" Chō grinned again. "And you'll rest in your grave."

"You will not," Kenshin said flatly. He stood firmly on the grass, broken sakabatō and _saya_ held in his left hand, while his right hovered just above the cut in his thigh. _Are you listening, Seikū-dono?_ "An era is not created by swords, but by the _people_ who wield them."

The shock of his words went through Seikū's _ki_ like a flash-fire. A moment later, the smith was running forward.

Kenshin prepared to attack, to keep Chō's attention focused on him as Seikū got Iori down... but found that _he_ was the one shocked, as Seikū ran right past the tree, and yelled, "Hang on, Iori! We'll save you! Just hang on!"

_What is he __doing__?_

"The audience isn't allowed on stage!" Chō shouted, and twisted the blade around so that it went for Seikū's unprotected back.

Kenshin didn't even have to think; he simply reacted. His thumb unlocked the remains of his sakabatō, and he sent it flying toward the blade. It hit right on target, the hilt slamming into the tip just before it reached Seikū.

"You're _all... annoying_!" Chō growled, turning back toward him with a snarl as real anger flared through his _ki_. "I'm not letting you go now! My rage soars!"

_Not as high as my own,_ Kenshin thought grimly, his eyes narrowing as the icy cold of his anger flowed through him. A small part of his mind wondered what Seikū was doing, but most of his attention was focused on planning how to get Chō within range.

"Look at my head," the blond stormed on. "This is the 'hair of heavenly fire'!"

_Almost too easy..._ "Looks more like 'hair of insane broom'," Kenshin countered dryly. He could sense flickers of amusement at that from the three left by the _tori'i_, even as Chō's anger blazed hotter.

"It was a _joke_, idiot!" Chō snarled. "Don't take it _literally_! You are _so_ annoying!" He drew his hand back and began to lunge, and Kenshin felt triumph flare up as he read the path the attack would follow. Chō had just played right into his hands.

Having already seen four attacks with this sword, Kenshin was easily able to judge the blade's speed. He stayed exactly where he was, sensing Chō's own triumph when he didn't try to dodge, and waited. Then, as the blade neared him, he raised the remains of his _saya_, tensing his legs - the pain was pushed away as unimportant at the moment - as he readied himself.

The tip of the blade entered the _saya_, deflected away from him, and before Chō had a chance to realize just how great a mistake he'd made, Kenshin leaped straight for him.

With a yell to help focus the force of his attack, Kenshin twisted in mid-leap, bringing his right elbow forward to slam into the blond's forehead. He hit right on target and used the momentum of the impact, as Chō's head snapped back, to flip over the collapsing form.

Landing with his left foot touching the ground first, Kenshin knelt at the other side of the path, a sinking feeling in his stomach - for more than one reason.

The moment he'd hit Chō, he'd known that he'd used too much force if he simply wanted to knock the blond unconscious; he'd struck a killing blow. It was only now that Kenshin realized his instincts had classified Chō as a threat that needed killing the moment the blond had declared Iori 'worthless' - or perhaps even when he'd come to the conclusion that Chō's expertise with this sword outweighed his lack of skill.

In which case, perhaps it _was_ good that Chō's head had been protected from the full force of the blow by what had felt like another metal band.

_He is Juppongatana: a member of Shishio's inner circle. And Shishio is the ultimate threat; to defeat him, we need all the information we can get - information that one of the Juppongatana is much more likely to have. No matter how much of threat he is, I can __not__ kill him._

"Close, close," Chō mumbled out loud then, tilting his head back to look directly at Kenshin. His expression was dazed, and there was blood dripping down his face; obviously the band, or whatever it was, hadn't kept him _entirely_ undamaged.

_Closer than you may realize,_ Kenshin thought with the cold, dispassionate clarity he had always experienced in true life-and-death battles, a clarity he hadn't felt very often in the past several years. _Whatever the protection you wear is, it is the only thing that saved you from death._

"I really shouldn't take you lightly; you made all the blood in my head recede," Chō continued mumbling. Then his gaze sharpened somewhat, and both his voice and his _ki_ firmed with determination. "No more entering your space. I'll shred you from the _outside_. I'll cut you to pieces and throw them in the Shijō river."

Kenshin met his gaze, eyes still cold as he tried to work out what to do. He knew from experience that fighting against his instincts was more difficult than the deadliest battle with Saitō, but he had to. They needed Chō to be in a condition that left him able to answer questions, after all.

Before he could figure out an answer to his dilemma, however, his thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the direction of the shrine.

"Himura-san!"

Looking over, Kenshin saw Seikū standing there, a wooden-sheathed sword held firmly in his hands. "This is Father's last blade!" the young smith declared. "Take it - it's yours!"

With that, he threw the sword in Kenshin's direction.

Kenshin caught it automatically, a touch of confusion breaking through the clarity for a moment as he wondered why Seikū had done this.

"Feh. I should have killed him before I went down," Chō muttered, standing carefully back up as Kenshin's gaze returned to him. "Ah well... Defeating you and obtaining the blade. Two birds with one stone, hmm?"

His focus narrowed to the blade in his hand and the opponent facing him, Kenshin felt the tension he'd carried since Sōjirō had broken his sakabatō disappear. He was properly armed again, and he found himself relaxing involuntarily, despite being in the middle of a fight where he couldn't allow his instincts free rein.

"Draw," Chō continued. "Let's finish this. Both with swords. Kill or be killed. It's easy to understand."

Kenshin shifted his hands slightly, letting them adjust to the heft and the feel of this sword; then stood, feeling the hints of confusion slip away, leaving only the clarity. "Yes," he declared, his tone cold, "let's finish this." _And hope that I can avoid killing you in the process..._ came the additional grim thought.

"So, _this_ is the Hitokiri Battōsai, hmm?" Chō said, and smiled.

The part of him that was monitoring the four watching them was aware that Misao's _ki_ flared with shock, as did those of both Seikū and his wife, but there was nothing to be done about it now; he needed to stay focused on this final exchange - which had already started, though he hadn't moved since answering Chō's challenge.

"Well? Are you going to move?" the blond demanded a moment later. Then his gaze went to the tree he'd hung Iori from. "Or am I going to have to slice apart your 'child of peace' to convince you to fight?"

The taunt was meant to make Kenshin angry, make him attack without thinking, the way Chō had done earlier. However, the only reason Kenshin hadn't _already_ attacked - he knew exactly which move to use to negate the advantage the blade provided Chō, now that he had a sword again - was because defending against an attack would make it easier to avoid killing the blond. But he couldn't afford to take the chance Chō wouldn't do what he threatened.

_In other words, I'm going to __have__ to attack. I'll simply have to do my best to avoid using lethal force..._

Without another word, making it seem as though he was reacting to the taunt, as opposed to having thought carefully about it, Kenshin launched himself forward. The move would appear, at first, to be a lunge much like the ones Chō had attacked him with at the beginning of this fight.

And indeed, Chō reacted just as Kenshin had expected. He thrust the sword forward, using the same 'wave-type' attack as he had the last four times.

As the tip of the blade hit the path right in front of him, Kenshin - fully prepared for it - leaped up and forward, riding the force of the impact.

"Got you!" Chō exulted, and turned his wrist the same way he had in his first attack, sending the blade toward the hitokiri's back.

But Kenshin was thoroughly prepared for that as well. Even as he continued his forward leap, he began spinning, the centrifugal force helping to keep him in the air.

And drew the sword.

This was the moment of truth time. Could he restrain his instincts enough to let him pull the blow?

_I have to... we need him __alive__!_

Chō was staring at him in shocked disbelief, _knowing_, Kenshin recognized, that he didn't have enough time to get away - or even deflect the blow that was coming. Drawing back the sword in preparation, Kenshin stopped his spin...

...And struck.

"_Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū! Ryūkansen Tsumuji!_"

The blade struck Chō across the chest, going from his hip up to his shoulder, and flinging the blond back. The hilt of _Hakujin_ dropped from Chō's suddenly limp hand, and he hit the stones of the path as Kenshin landed lightly a _shaku_ away.

_Did I kill him?_ Kenshin wondered anxiously, looking down at the body. It was clear that Misao, Okina, Seikū and his wife all thought that he had. _Did I manage to stop my spin in time to contain the force of the blow?_

"Himura..." Misao said carefully, taking a step forward.

Kenshin wasn't entirely sure what to say - he didn't want her to be scared of him, now that she knew who he was - so rather than look at her, he glanced down at the sword.

And felt his eyes widen in surprise, the colour fading back to blue, as he got his first good look at the blade. _A sakabatō?_

"Oh!" Misao exclaimed, having seen the same thing.

"That sword..." Kenshin heard Seikū mutter, from the direction of the shrine.

"A sakabatō!" Misao exclaimed out loud.

"What?" Okina's voice sounded incredulous. "Arai Shakkū's last blade was also sakabatō - like the one he gave Himura-san?"

"No," Kenshin murmured, feeling the heft of the blade. "This one... fits just slightly better in the palm than the last one."

"But if _that's_ sakabatō too, then..." Misao looked over at Chō's body. "He's not dead!"

_Whether I managed to pull the blow or not,_ Kenshin thought, both relieved and rueful at once. He wasn't entirely certain that he _had_ managed to pull it, and it was definitely a relief that it turned out to be something he didn't need to worry about. _At least he will be alive for Saitō to question._

"I see..." Chō muttered weakly from where he was lying. "_Now_ I know why Shishio-sama would take you on, even on the eve of his _greatest objective_. But don't get _too_ confident."

Kenshin looked over at him.

"There are still nine left in the league of the Juppongatana. Two of them - Sōjirō, whom you fought before, and Usui, who's headed this way from Ryūkyū - are _better_ than you." He started laughing wildly, even through his weakness. "You'll _never_ get to Shishio-sam-"

Abruptly, Misao grabbed Okina's cane - which had come apart to reveal a chain linking the handle and its body - and lashed it at Chō, knocking him unconscious before he could finish his speech. "There!" she declared firmly. "Now, what should we do with him?"

"We still need information, so let's take him to Aoi-ya," Okina suggested.

"No," Kenshin disagreed, "let's take him to the police. He may not be in Kyoto yet, but there _is_ a man in charge of the Shishio case. That'll be safer." After all, he didn't want the Oniwabanshū involved any further.

"But-" Misao started to protest... Saitō _really_ hadn't made a good impression on her.

Okina shook his head at her. "If Himura-san says so," he stated, though his tone was somewhat doubtful.

Before Kenshin could assure Okina about Saitō, the quiet conversation was interrupted.

"His final sword... was sakabatō," Seikū said from the entrance to the shrine itself. He sounded dazed, and Kenshin was fairly sure that he hadn't been aware of the discussion going on about Chō. "I don't understand... My father created _killing tools_... Why would he-?"

A loud _crack_ interrupted Seikū's words, and Kenshin stared down at the sakabatō in his hand to see the wooden hilt splitting apart. His eyes widened as it cracked clear through, and the blade fell from his grip to land tip down in the path, shattering yet another paving stone.

"It's all right," Okina said with a sigh of relief as he examined the sword; the rest of them were still too startled by what had just happened. "There's no damage to the blade..." Then he leaned a bit closer. "Hmm... A poem!"

Kenshin picked it up carefully, and saw what Okina had - there was a poem inscribed on the _nakago_. Perhaps it would hold the answer to Seikū's question. But first... "Let's get Iori down from that tree," he said, looking over at the boy, who was still hanging there, "and summon the police. Then we'll return to Aoi-ya, and we can talk."

* * *

The sakabatō blade was resting on a piece of silk in front of Kenshin. Seikū and his wife - whose name, they had learned, was Azusa - sat next to his left, with Iori on Azusa's lap, playing with a toy Okina had found for him. Okina sat at Kenshin's right, and Misao was perched opposite him, watching them all.

"'Slashing myself, I have trained countless blades,'" Kenshin read off the _nakago_. "'My son reviles, but for my grandson, I bleed.'"

"He spent many years crafting swords, feeling he was cutting himself," Okina interpreted the poem soberly. "Even if it led to his son reviling him, it was for the world his grandson would live in. Shakkū left these as his parting words, engraved on his last sword."

"Father must have realized he was arrogant to think swords could create worlds," Seikū murmured, clearly working on getting his thoughts rearranged with the new information he'd gained. "But then, he lived in the chaos of the Bakumatsu. There was no time to stop and _think_ in the midst of hell. As a swordsmith living in those days of blood, he kept going forward... crafting sword after sword, hoping to speed peace on its way... against the wishes of his own heart. He had to live his life in irony."

_A feeling I know all too well,_ Kenshin thought to himself, as his mind called up the memory of the swordsmith who had given him the first sakabatō. _At least, if nothing else comes of this, your son now understands you more._

"My father, with his deep feelings of regret and hope, left this holy sword: 'Sakabatō Shinuchi'," Seikū finished.

"'Shinuchi'?" Misao repeated curiously.

It was Azusa who replied. "Yes," she said, giving Misao a smile as she explained. "When making a holy sword, smiths usually forge not one, but two or more blades. The finest of those are called _shinuchi_, 'true forge', and are offered to the god. The rest are _kageuchi_, 'shadow forge', and are stored or given away."

Okina's eyes widened. "I see... So there were _two_ sakabatō to begin with..."

"And _this_ is the _shinuchi_, meaning it's _better_ than the original sakabatō!" Misao added eagerly.

"Please accept it, Himura-san," Seikū said then, looking over at him - still without any hint of the fear Kenshin had been expecting once they had had time to think about who he was. "I think that's what Father would have wished."

Kenshin stared down at the sakabatō, remembering his last encounter with Shakkū, the evening of the last day of the battles of Toba Fushimi, after they'd won the field... and the words the smith had said to him after throwing him the sakabatō.

_"It's a gift. It's a failure, but for you, right now, it's enough. Try being a swordsman with __that__ at your waist! Soon you'll see how __naïve__ you're being! When that sword __breaks__ and still you're able to believe your own sweet lies... come to Kyoto and seek me out."_

He hadn't been able to entirely avoid killing, as much as he'd tried to. But in ten years of wandering, there had been only two who had been so lost to reason that he had had no choice _but_ to kill in order to protect - not counting Jin-e, who had chosen to kill himself. All other encounters he'd had, he'd managed to avoid killing. Knowing Shakkū... Kenshin thought that would be enough for him.

Reaching out one hand, he let it hover above the blade for a long moment. _Shakkū-dono... I would still like to believe those 'sweet lies', just like you. So..._ Looking up, he met Seikū's eyes. "This one gratefully accepts," he murmured, drawing on the rurouni mask for a moment to express the humility he felt at the offer.

Seikū nodded to him, and then he and Azusa stood up. "Then we'll be-"

"Yes," Kenshin replied quietly. "Take care."

Before they could leave, however, Iori called, "Shake!"

Kenshin looked over to see the boy waving his hands eagerly, looking directly at him. "Shake! Bye-bye! Shake bye-bye! Shake!"

Kenshin smiled warmly at the young boy, and once again reached out his hand to let Iori take it.

"Shake!" Iori declared, his tone satisfied as he gripped Kenshin's hand and moved it up and down.

"Bye-bye," Kenshin replied, warmed by the toddler's friendliness.

His smile lasted for quite a while after they had gone.

* * *

**Glossary**

_kurikata_: The knob on the _saya_ (sheath) of a Japanese sword that holds the _sageo_ (the cord).

_nakago_: The tang of a Japanese sword - the metal section inside the hilt. Often held the signature of the smith.

* * *

Coming Next: **Chapter 5: Hiko Seijūrō - Thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū**


	18. C5P1: Leaving the Aoiya

Author's Note #1: Some of the dialogue - but definitely not all - in this chapter was taken from Acts 82-85 (and more) of the _Rurouni Kenshin_ manga, written by the noble Watsuki-san, some of it modified slightly by bits from the anime, some of it modified by the requirements of the story.

Author's Note #2: Just a reminder - for notes, go to (remove the spaces): www. t1goold. net/ RK/ NotesRK. html

Author's Note #3: Life has not been good to me over the past year, health-wise... but I've had so many people add Edge of the Blade to their favourites and story alerts lately that it seems to me only fair to put up another part as thanks. I'm still working on the rest of Chp. 5, so no guarantees when it will appear... but here's the start.

(Author's Note #4: I've learned how to put macrons over the letters (rather than the circumflex accent), so will be gradually going back and changing the rest of the parts as well.)

* * *

Disclaimer in Prologue (first page).  
Thanks again to Vathara for her help in betaing.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: Hiko Seijūrō - Thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū**

_Part 1: Leaving the Aoi-ya_

Kenshin had been up for over an hour by the time Misao came looking for him, working on cleaning the sakabatō and replacing the hilt.

"So, what are we going to be doing today, Himura?" she asked, as she walked into the room.

Kenshin blinked and looked up at her. "Doing?" he questioned innocently.

Misao scowled at him, but before she could say anything, Okina joined them.

"Ah, there you are, Himura-kun. I've just got word back from the police on Chō," the _onmitsu_ said, sitting down on one of the cushions facing Kenshin.

"Mmm...?" Kenshin murmured, as he put the cleaning cloth back into his kit and picked up the _tsuba_.

"They say that the man you mentioned, the one who's in charge of the Shishio affair, is due to arrive in Kyoto in about four days' time," Okina continued. "I was thinking about offering our services to the police for Chō's interrogation, so that it can be done earlier--"

"I doubt that will be necessary, Okina-san," Kenshin interrupted. "The man they're waiting for is... quite skilled. One way or another, I am quite certain that he will be able to obtain any information Chō has about Shishio." _I do not want the Oniwabanshū involved any more than they have been already. I have a new sakabatō; it's time to leave before Shishio finds out about the Aoi-ya. It will just be a matter of arranging with Okina to get word to me once Hiko is found..._

"Oh?"

From the expression on Okina's face, Kenshin suspected he was trying to figure out who might be working with the police that Hitokiri Battōsai would have that much respect for. It would be interesting to know if the Oniwabanshū knew of Saitō's alias and current position... Not that he was going to ask, just in case they didn't. "Yes," he replied simply, making sure the _tsuba_ was properly settled before picking up the hilt.

"_So_," Misao repeated impatiently, "what are we going to do today?"

Kenshin shrugged. "I do not know what _you_ intend to do, Misao-san. _I_ will be leaving the Aoi-ya."

Misao stared at him for a long moment, her expression thunderstruck; and then a look of utter fury crossed her face. "_You're leaving Aoi-ya?!_" she screeched.

Kenshin ignored the shout, focusing his attention on putting the hilt on to the sakabatō.

"_Why?_ We've only just found the new sakabatō and got started!" Misao continued, still yelling.

_If nothing else, her temper is a match to Kaoru's,_ Kenshin thought, wincing slightly at the continuing loud volume. _If they ever meet, they will either get along remarkably well, or be the bitterest of enemies..._

"Calm down, calm down," Okina said firmly, giving Misao a slight shake of his head. Turning back to Kenshin, he continued, "May we hear your reasons, Himura-kun?"

Kenshin concentrated on getting the hilt seated properly. _If I tell them, they will continue to try to assist me. By ignoring them, I will hopefully be able to make them angry enough with me to let me go my own way._

"You can't tell us, huh?" Misao demanded furiously, shifting and drawing her arm back in preparation to punch him.

_Yes, very definitely a match to Kaoru's temper..._ Kenshin put the sakabatō down, and reached for the wooden hammer.

"Why don't you stay out of this?" Okina suggested firmly to her, as Kenshin set the pin in place and tapped the peg he was using to hold it with the hammer.

"So, no desire to tell...?" the _onmitsu_ asked then, when Kenshin's lack of response made it obvious he had no intentions of responding to Misao's demand. "Well, you have no need to speak your feelings. In the end, we _are_ strangers.

"But," he continued, a hint of smugness entering his expression, "before you leave, you still must pay two yen and twenty-five sen for three days' lodging."

If he hadn't been trying to make them angry, Kenshin would have smiled at Okina's attempt. It sounded as though Misao had shared her impression that he was poor with the old man, and Okina either hadn't guessed different, or was hoping that Kenshin wanted to maintain that impression.

"Good one, Gramps!" Misao exclaimed.

"Aoi-ya _is_ an inn," Okina pointed out sagely. "We can't afford to let _strangers_ stay for free.

"Can't you tell us, Himura-kun?" he added, after a moment. "I can get over it, but she won't be able to."

At that, Kenshin looked back up at them. Misao had a pleading expression on her face, and Okina... the look in Okina's eyes suggested that he had figured it out - or the gist of it, at least.

Picking up the sakabatō, he slipped it into the _saya_ Okina had given him last night, after Seikū's family had left, and then held it in front of him for a long moment, staring at it, before giving a sigh of partial resignation. He supposed he could at least explain that he didn't want them involved.

"If too much is revealed, you'll all become involved," he stated grimly. He could feel their eyes watching him, and knew his own eyes were flickering amber. "The point of leaving Tokyo _alone_ was to avoid having anyone else caught up in it."

Pushing his irritation and concern away, he forced his eyes to return to blue before raising his head again. "This most recent incident involved Seikū's family," Kenshin continued, standing up. "If I were to stay, the same would happen to you."

"_Pff!_" Misao scoffed, also standing up. "That's nothing to worry about! I got martial arts training from Han'nya himself! I'm not a _baby_, like Iori!"

"Yes, you are," Kenshin said flatly. _Even after the events of Shingetsu, and what happened to Seikū's family, she still doesn't realize just how serious this is._ As she stared at him it utter disbelief, and rising anger, he continued, "To Shishio and his men, you and Iori are the same."

He strode over to the _shoji_ leading to the hall outside, neither Okina nor Misao attempting to stop him. Okina hadn't yet stood up, and Misao still appeared stunned by what he'd just said. "No one else must be put in danger. From here on, I battle _alone_."

_Except for Saitō - I doubt he'll even try to stay out of it - but he's already involved, and I know he can hold his own._

"I understand, Himura-kun," Okina said soberly, turning slightly to meet his gaze.

_Yes, I had a feeling you would..._

"We will respect your wishes."

"But--" Misao protested.

Kenshin and Okina both ignored her. "Once we learn more of Hiko Seijūrō, I'll inform you using a signal fire," the _onmitsu_ continued. "It's an old method, but it works."

"Thank you," Kenshin replied, sliding the _shoji_ open.

"Hey, Himura, why so _distant_ all of a sudden?" Misao demanded abruptly. Kenshin stopped in the doorway, his back to them. "Is it because we know you're Hitokiri Battōsai?"

Kenshin's mouth tightened. _Part of it, yes,_ he thought silently. Of course, Okina had known from the first; but not only was Okina _onmitsu_, he had lived through the chaos in Kyoto that was the Bakumatsu. Misao - like his friends back in Tokyo - hadn't. And despite the fact that he hadn't been as deeply hidden by the rurouni mask when he'd met Misao as he had before, Saitō's words about his friends kept echoing in his mind.

_But most of it is as I have said - I do not want you involved._

"I'm not the type to care about people's pasts," Misao continued, and Kenshin stiffened at the unexpected echo of Kaoru's words all those months ago, after the first defeat of the Hiruma brothers. "Whoever you are, Himura, you're a _good_ man! You wouldn't have insisted on leaving Senkaku and Chō alive if you weren't!"

_Despite the fact that I knew full well that leaving them alive would be turning them over to Saitō's interrogation?_ But, almost in spite of himself, Kenshin chuckled at the way Misao was not only acting, but speaking so much like Kaoru.

"_What's_ so _funny_?"

"Someone left behind in Tokyo said almost the exact same thing," Kenshin admitted. He looked back at Misao, eyes a warm blue. "To hear it here, in _Kyoto_--" _Where I became the bloody legend..._ "--was... unexpected."

Once again Misao stared at him, this time in surprise, and Kenshin turned away a final time, determined not to let her delay him any longer. "I am sorry not to tell you more of Aoshi," he declared - knowing that would stop her even more firmly than her echo of Kaoru had him - and walked out, closing the _shoji_ firmly behind him.

Giving a nod of farewell to Kuro and Okon as he passed the kitchen where they were preparing lunch, he walked out the door and started down the street, toward the edge of town. He'd decided it would be wiser not to stay within Kyoto; not until he was ready to confront Shishio, at least. He knew of a small, abandoned hut a short distance out of town; close enough that he would be able to see the smoke signal when Okina discovered Hiko's location, but far enough away that Shishio's agents in Kyoto shouldn't be able to find him.

He had only got a few steps away from Aoi-ya's main door when he heard Misao shout from overhead, "_Hey, Himura!_"

Kenshin winced, wishing she would _stop_ yelling that name. Knowing now who he was, she really ought to know better...

"_You told Eiji from Shingetsu village, 'Be happy'!_" she continued shouting, despite the fact that he was still walking away, and hadn't looked up. "_The same thing goes for you, too!_"

_Thank you for the kind thought, Misao._

"_I won't let you get away with being miserable just because you couldn't ask for help!_"

He winced again, not liking the sound of that. It suggested that she might just try to do something... well, stupid, actually. _I'll just have to hope that Okina can keep her safe... I am not going to turn around._

"_And don't you forget it! Idiot!_"

_Yes, I suspect that she and Kaoru would get along..._

* * *

**Glossary**

_tsuba_: The hilt guard of the sword.

_Two yen, twenty-five sen_: In this story Kenshin stays at Aoi-ya for three days, not ten; I've changed the "cost of lodging" appropriately, assuming Japan's currency system was decimal at the time.


End file.
